From Isolation to Intervention

"It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.”

— George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796

"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations—entangling alliances with none."

— Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, 1801

The Founding Fathers believed that the United States should not intervene in other countries, unless U.S. interests were directly at stake. However, by the end of the 19th century, the U.S. made a dramatic shift away from that policy.

In this lesson, you will look at the causes and debates that led to the Spanish–American War, now also referred to as the War of 1898.

You will be prompted to take notes on the causes and consequences of the war, gather and analyze evidence, and organize this information in order to write an essay that answers the question:

Was the U.S. justified in going to war with Spain in 1898?

Print depicting the U.S. Cavalry fighting Spanish troops. A soldier holds an American flag in the center. He is surrounded by others in the U.S. Cavalry who are firing at Spanish troops. Some of the cavalry lie dying.

Despite earlier policies, the U.S. became involved in a war in Cuba. This American print by Kurz and Allison, created ca. 1898, depicts the U.S. Cavalry fighting Spanish troops in the Battle of Las Guásimas near Santiago de Cuba.

To help you answer that question, the lesson will focus on the following aspects of the Spanish–American War and its aftermath:

How did U.S. press coverage of the events leading up to the war influence public opinion?
How did President McKinley and other politicians justify going to war with Spain?
What were the arguments for and against the United States taking a more imperialistic role in world affairs?