Windows on History

The Spanish American War

A Timeline Illustration of the War Drawn By, Alex Viands

Spanish American War Timeline of Events

1896

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December 7-President Cleveland says that the United States

may take action in Cuba if Spain fails to resolve crisis there.

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1898

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February 15- U.S.S. Maine explodes in Havana Harbor.

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March 9- U.S. Congress passes Fifty Million dollar Military Appropriations Bill to strengthen military.

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March 28- Report of U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry finds U.S.S. Maine explosion caused by a mine.

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March 29- The United States Government issues an ultimatum to the Spanish Government to terminate

 its presence in Cuba. Spain did not accept the ultimatum in its reply of April 1, 1898.

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April 11-  U.S. President William McKinley requested authorization from the U.S. Congress to

intervene in Cuba, with the object of putting an end to the war between Cuban revolutionaries and Spain.

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April 13- The U.S. Congress agreed to President McKinley's request for intervention in Cuba,

but without recognition of the Cuban Government.

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April 20- U.S. President William McKinley signed the Joint Resolution for war

with Spain and the ultimatum was forwarded to Spain.

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April 25- War was formally declared between Spain and the United States.

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May 1- Opening with the famous quote "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley"

U.S. Commodore George Dewey in six hours defeated the Spanish squadron,

under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón, in Manila Bay, the Philippines Islands.

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July 8- U.S. acquired Hawaii.

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July 17- Santiago, Cuba surrenders to U.S. troops.

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July 30- U.S. President McKinley and his Cabinet submitted to Ambassador Cambon

a counter-proposal to the Spanish request for ceasefire.

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August 2- Spain accepted the U.S. proposals for peace, with certain reservations regarding the Philippine Islands.

McKinley called for a preliminary protocol from Spain before suspension of hostilities. That document was used as

the basis for discussion between Spain and the United States at the Treaty of Peace in Paris.

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August 12-Peace protocol that ended all hostilities between Spain and the United States

in the war fronts of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines was signed in Washington, D.C.

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September 13-The Spanish Cortes (legislature) ratified the Protocol of Peace.

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October 1-The Spanish and United States Commissioners convened their first

meeting in Paris to reach a final Treaty of Peace.

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Decmember 10-Representatitves of Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Peace in Paris.

Spain renounced all rights to Cuba and allowed an independent Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and the island of

Guam to the United States, gave up its possessions in the West Indies, and sold the Philippine Islands,

receiving in exchange $20,000,000.

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December 23-Guam placed under control of U.S. Department of the Navy.

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1899

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January 1- Spanish forces left Cuba.

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February 6-U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Paris by a vote of 52 to 27.

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March 19-The Queen regent of Spain, María Cristina, signed the Treaty of Paris,

breaking the deadlock in the Spanish Cortes.

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April 11-The Treaty of Paris was proclaimed.

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1902

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July- War of the Phillipine insurrection ended in the Philippines, with more than 4,200 U.S. soldiers,

20,000 Filipino soldiers, and 200,000 Filipino civilians dead.

 Created by Michael Rossman, Emily O'Donnell