"A Splendid Little War": The Debate Over Empire
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- Jan 26
- 4 min read
Target: I can explain the causes and effects of the Spanish-American War by comparing "Yellow Journalism" to the arguments for and against American Imperialism.
Key Vocabulary
Yellow Journalism: A style of newspaper reporting that uses exaggerated or false headlines to sell papers and make people angry (e.g., blaming Spain for the USS Maine explosion without proof).
Imperialism: When a strong country takes over a weaker country to control its resources, land, or government.
USS Maine: An American battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor. Yellow Journalists blamed Spain, which led to the war.
The White Man's Burden: The racist belief that the U.S. and Europe had a "duty" to colonize other nations to "civilize" them.
Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)
Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.
Prompt: Imagine you see a fight in the hallway. You don't know who started it, but a friend runs up and tells you, "John hit Alex for no reason! We have to go beat up John!" You later find out your friend was lying just to get you involved. How would you feel about being tricked into a fight? Why do people spread rumors to start conflicts? |
Sentence Starter: If I was tricked into a fight by a rumor, I would feel... People spread rumors to start conflicts because they want to...
Part 2: Analyzing the Sources
Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.
Source 1: Headline from the New York Journal (Feb 17, 1898)
Context: Two days after the USS Maine exploded, this newspaper (owned by William Randolph Hearst) published this front page. There was no proof yet, but they blamed Spain anyway.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
Headline: "DESTRUCTION OF THE WAR SHIP MAINE WAS THE WORK OF AN ENEMY!" Sub-Headline: "$50,000 Reward! For the Detection of the Perpetrator of the Maine Outrage!" Article Text: "The suspicion that the Maine was deliberately blown up grows stronger every hour. Not a single fact to the contrary has been produced... The warship Maine was split in two by an enemy's secret infernal machine." | Headline: "THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE WAS DONE BY AN ENEMY!" Sub-Headline: "$50,000 Reward for whoever did this!" Article Text: "The belief that the Maine was blown up on purpose is getting stronger. There is no proof that it was an accident... The ship was destroyed by an enemy's secret bomb." |
Source 2: Platform of the American Anti-Imperialist League (1899)
Context: After the U.S. won the war and took over the Philippines, many Americans were angry. They formed this group to protest against the U.S. becoming an empire.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
"We hold that the policy known as imperialism is hostile to liberty... We regret that it has become necessary in the land of Washington and Lincoln to reaffirm that all men, of whatever race or color, are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We maintain that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. We insist that the subjugation of any people is 'criminal aggression' and open disloyalty to the distinctive principles of our Government." | "We believe that imperialism is the enemy of freedom... It is sad that in the country of Washington and Lincoln, we have to remind people that everyone deserves liberty. We believe that governments only have power if the people agree to it ('consent of the governed'). We insist that taking over other people is a crime and goes against the main rules of our government." |
Analysis Questions
Directions: Answer the writing questions and the two Multiple Choice questions.
1. Look at Source 1. How does the headline "WORK OF AN ENEMY" try to manipulate the reader's emotions?
Sentence Starter: The headline manipulates the reader by making them feel... This is an example of "Yellow Journalism" because...
2. According to Source 2, why is Imperialism "disloyal" to the principles of the United States? (Hint: Think about the Declaration of Independence).
Sentence Starter: Imperialism is disloyal because the U.S. was built on the idea that government comes from the "consent of the..." but Imperialism involves...
Regents-Style Multiple Choice
3. The headlines in Source 1 are the best example of which trend that contributed to the start of the Spanish-American War?
(1) Muckraking
(2) Yellow Journalism
(3) Laissez-faire capitalism
(4) The Red Scare
4. The Anti-Imperialist League (Source 2) opposed the annexation of the Philippines because they believed that:
(1) The Philippines were too far away to be useful
(2) The U.S. Navy was not strong enough to defend the islands
(3) Colonialism violated the democratic principle of self-government
(4) Filipinos should be granted automatic U.S. citizenship
Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).
Prompt: Using evidence from both sources, explain how the Spanish-American War started and the debate that happened afterwards. Did "Yellow Journalism" help creating a "criminal aggression" (Imperialism)? |
Sentence Starter: The Spanish-American War began partly because newspapers used "Yellow Journalism" (Source 1) to blame Spain for... After the war, the U.S. took over islands like the Philippines. This caused a debate, where groups like the Anti-Imperialist League (Source 2) argued that taking over other countries was wrong because...
