Two Incidents Sparking U.S. War Demands Against Spain (1898)

Two flashpoints drove American public opinion toward war with Spain in 1898:

1. Sinking of the USS Maine (February 15, 1898)

• Armored cruiser exploded in Havana Harbor; 266 of 355 crew killed
• Cause undetermined: spontaneous coal bunker fire vs. Spanish mine (1898 Naval Court: mine; 1976 Rickover study: internal explosion)
• Yellow press (Hearst, Pulitzer) screamed "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!"
• McKinley initially resisted; naval inquiry inflamed Congress/public

2. De Lôme Letter (Published February 9, 1898)

• Private letter from Spanish Minister to U.S., Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, intercepted by Cuban rebels, published in New York Journal
• Called McKinley "weak," "bidder for admiration," "politician seeking reelection"
• De Lôme resigned; Spanish government apologized
• Humiliated U.S. pride; portrayed Spanish duplicity

Combined Effect

The Maine provided the casus belli; the letter supplied the moral outrage. Together they overcame McKinley's caution and business opposition. Congress declared war April 25, 1898 (retroactive to April 21).

Result: Spanish–American War (10 weeks); U.S. gained Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines; Cuba nominal independence.