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MLA
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History
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

The Explosion of the U.S.S. Maine Caused the United States to Invade Cuba in 1898

Essay Instructions:

AMH 2042 / AMH 2020, Prof. Landrum
Paper 1 Assignment Sheet
Required Length: 750-1000 words
Final Draft Deadline: Sunday at the end of Week 6.
On February 15, 1898, the American battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor. Americans were
outraged—many blamed Spain, which ruled Cuba as one of the colonies in its fading empire, for the
explosion. Two months later, in April, Congress declared war on Spain, and American troops invaded
Cuba. By the end of the year, the United States would control former Spanish possessions of Puerto Rico,
Guam, and the Philippines as its own colonies, and would exercise significant influence over Cuban
affairs. The outcome of the war signaled a turning point, as the United States took on a new status as an
imperial world power.
In your first paper for this course, you will use your knowledge, along with a set of primary sources, to
evaluate the following statement:
“The explosion of the U.S.S. Maine caused the United States to invade Cuba in 1898.”
Your paper should make an argument, using primary sources as evidence, as to whether the sinking of
the Maine adequately explains the invasion of Cuba. Was this the only cause, or were there others?
Which were the most important?
Getting Started:
• Navigate to Historical Thinking Matters’ assignment page on the Spanish-American War
. This is where you will access the materials required to complete this assignment.
• Watch the introductory video.
• For historical context, you may want to read ahead in The American Promise, focusing on “The
United States and the World” in Chapter 20.
• Read the historical primary sources for the Warm-Up Exercise. Read each of the two sources on
the left-hand side of the page (you can toggle between them using the “Journal” and “Times” tabs)
and use the questions on the right-hand side of the page (click on the “questions” tab to view
them) to guide your analysis. You may create an account on the site if you wish, but this is not
required.
• Follow the instructions in the Week 2 Course Content for further guidance.
I will distribute specific guidelines for the format and structure of the paper, as well as more information
about grading criteria, in the coming weeks.
• Future weeks will also include Skills Practice assignments which will prepare you to score well on
the paper. To earn a high grade on the paper, you should plan to complete as many Skills
Practice assignments as possible.
As you work on the paper, I encourage you to make appointments with a History Writing Tutor.
Tutors are available at MMC Monday-Friday 9am-5pm; they can also meet with you online. For
more information, see http://history(dot)fiu(dot)edu/tutoring

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Name:
Instructor:
Institution:
History
Date:
MODERN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION
The United States as a country, has never shied away from engaging in conflicts, especially those that it deems ‘strategic' The term simple means that the state usually chooses its battles carefully , analyzing the costs and benefits that such a conflict will have on its overall stature. It is such kinds of strategic engagements that have built the United States into the most powerful nation on the globe. One of the most significant historical events was the explosion of the U.S.S Maine. The vessel was in Cuban territory, which at that time was under Spanish occupation. As a result, the Spaniards were blamed for the bombing. Such an outcry from the United States led to its declaration of war against Spain. After a few months, the Americans had sacked not only Cuba but most other Spanish colonies. The bombing of the U.S.S. Maine wasn’t sufficient reason for the invasion of Cuba in 1898.
First, there is much evidence that pointed to the fact that the ship exploded as a result of structural deformities. As a result, its explosion is pure as a result of its mechanical failure or failure by its builders during the design and assembly process. During the investigations, it was noted that the ship had a severe flaw in its basic design. The ships structure meant that the engine and the weapon store bordered each other. Considering that the engine room was a source of energy for the whole ship, a lot of heat was apparently being generated by that chamber. On the other hand, this was a battleship. There was bound, therefore, to be various types of weapons in the arms room. Some of these weapons were explosives, such as gunpowder(Keynes).The continuous generation of heat in the engine room resulted in a heat buildup in the arms chamber, which in turn led to pressure buildup and hence the explosion. Therefore, the notion that it was bombed by the Spaniards is well far-fetched.
It is, however, a source of doubts and controversy as to who facilitated the explosion, since the designers of the boat knew very well that the weapons and engine rooms bordered each other. As a result, they placed this into consideration during their standard safety operations of the ship. It, therefore, means that there must be an underlying reason as to why the ship exploded. The claims that it was done by the Spaniards holds much water since they were the known opponents of the United States at that time in that territory and the American crew cannot have set off an explosion on their ship. The Spaniards were, therefore, the most likely culprits or the most convenient alibi for the bombing (Black).
Secondly, the invasion of Cuba by the United States can be blamed for the coun...
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