The Spanish American War concludes.
After the U.S. captured the Philippine Islands from Spain, the scene shifted to the Caribbean.
Former Confederate Cavalry leader Joe Wheeler, future WWI hero John Pershing, and future
President Theodore Roosevelt all saw action.
The new war united the nation as northerners and southerners set sectional disputes aside
and fought a common enemy.
From the time the first US troops landed, the route began.
Spanish troops were swept across the island to their strongest position, atop tall hills
near Santiago Bay.
The biggest obstacle lay upon Kettle Hill, right next to another named San Juan Hill.
Joe Wheeler caught the fever so the task of leading the final charge fell on the untested
shoulders of a little known figure named Theodore Roosevelt.
He led a group of men known as the Rough Riders up the side of San Juan Hill to assault the
Spanish position.
Do not get the vision of men on horse back charging up a hill with glistening sabers.
The Rough Riders were originally cavalry but they were fighting dismounted.
Under constant machine gun fire, Roosevelt led his men to the top of the hill.
After a severe fight, American forces captured the last Spanish outpost on San Juan Hill.
In less than 4 months America had defeated Spain and completely wiped their empire off
the map.
Spain signed a peace treaty officially ending the war on August 12, 1898.
Roosevelt returned as the hero of the war.
Because of his heroism on Kettle and San Juan Hills, he was nominated for the Congressional
Medal of Honor.
His popularity swept him to the governorship of New York.
Like Dewey before him, Roosevelt memorabilia filled shop windows.
One of the more popular items was a cuddly stuffed animal wearing a bandanna and glasses.
People called it the "Teddy Bear."
With their victory in the Spanish-American War, the U.S. assured the end of an empire
in the western world that had lasted 4 centuries.
US losses in the war in Cuba were 379 killed in combat, while 5,000 others died from disease.
But the question still remained, what would the U.S. do with Cuba?
Would they take it as their own, or would the U.S. grant the Cubans independence?
After heated debate, the U.S. took Guam and the Philippines, while granting Cuba its independence.
Guam is still a territory today; the Philippines were granted independence in 1946.
U.S. troops weren't withdrawn from Cuba until 1902 when the island nation fully accepted
the terms of the Platt Amendment.
This amendment protected US interests in postwar Cuba.
It disallowed any foreign intervention on the island nation and gave the US control
of Cuba's market.
The Cubans were also forced to lease land to the U.S. for mining and the establishment
of naval bases, such as the one in Guantanamo Bay.
Other territorial gains made shortly after the Civil War include, U.S. Secretary of State
William Seward buying Alaska from Russia for 2 cents an acre.
There is more gold and oil, minerals, and lumber than any of us can possibly imagine.
The U.S. also annexed Hawaii in 1898 and took control of the Island from Queen Liliuokalini.
Sanford Dole was made President.
Hawaii became a state in 1959.
Bill Clinton officially apologized to the Hawaiians for this in 1993, but the US has
yet to relinquish control of the islands.