“A Splendid Little War”: The Spanish-American War
A Background
One of the most memorable quotes from the period, Hay’s remark of a “Splendid Little War” summed up the altercation for both the United States and for himself.
Before McKinley’s election and Hay’s appointment, Spain as an empire was in danger. Beginning in 1895, the people of Cuba began to revolt against Spain. A combination of economic factors and American ideology would push the US populace to rally behind the insurgents’ cause. However, at this point, popular opinion was not strong enough to push the government to the point of war.
This tone would soon change with the use of yellow journalism. Journalism based around sensationalism and exaggeration- newspapers of the era, including the New York Times, used yellow journalism to fan the fires of war.
The event that would send the nation over the edge would be the infamous sinking of the USS Maine in February of 1898. With the help of journalists' pushing the narrative that the ship was deliberately torpedoed off the coast of Havana by Spain- even though the cause of the ship's sinking was not confirmed- the public would become outraged by the loss of 260 Americans and war would now be seen as inevitable.
The declaration of war would officially be made in April of 1898. This “little war” would be resolved in eight months, with the Treaty of Paris in December 1898. And the “splendid” ending would result in the United States gaining Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, with Cuba finally gaining their freedom.
How John Hay Played a Part
While the war itself was short in terms of the country’s push, for John Hay it was even shorter. Hay was sworn in as Secretary of State in September- just two months before the end of the war. This made his main responsibility peace agreements rather than any war planning. However, he played a major part in these agreements.
Originally, the US spoils for winning did not include the Philippines. But, John Hay understood the power that the Philippines held as a United States territory. The archipelago would allow the US to be more prevalent in the east at a time of turmoil and change in multiple different countries. This ownership and expansion of reach would also put the United States on a track of imperialism- making the country a contender for the title of superpower.
Hay would be successful in his campaign, getting Spain to agree to the US buying the islands for $20 million. This would not only be Hay’s first ‘win’ in his new position but would be an impactful move in US history.