James Baquet

As we have recently seen, by the end of the 19th century Spain had lost virtually all of her American colonies, with the exceptions of Cuba and Puerto Rico. She also kept Guam and the Philippines, her colonies in the Pacific.

The United States’ involvement in the Cuban War of Independence (1895-1898) led to a broader entanglement, the nearly four-month Spanish-American War which lasted from April 21 to Aug. 13, 1898.

At the end of that war, the U.S. was in possession of the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico; Cuba, while technically independent, became a U.S. protectorate.

Cuba gained formal independencein 1902; Guam and Puerto Rico remain American territories to this day. Butthe Philippines did notthrow off American rule until the end of World War II.

The Battle of Manila Bay was a key moment in the Spanish-American War, and is considered one of the most decisive naval battles in history. While it marked the end of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, it was a starting point for the American imperialism of the 20th century.

Commodore George Deweywas the hero of the day on May 1, 1898. In that first major engagement of the Spanish-American War, Dewey’s fleet sunk over half of the 13-ship Spanish squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo.

Montojo had placed his squadron off the coast of Manila, hoping that any sailors who lost their ships could swim to safety. However, to prevent damage to the city, he located the fleet too far away from the protection of most of the land-based gun batteries.

The firing commenced when Dewey uttered the famous line, “You may fire when ready, Gridley,” to the captain of his flagship. On May 2, Dewey landed Marines who destroyed the land-based forts, and the fleet was also destroyed. The only American death in the entire campaign was due to one man having a heart attack.

Within a year the people of the Philippines were at war with their new colonial overlords, the Americans, a war which they lost nearly three-and-a-half years later, bringing them firmly under nearly a half-century of American rule.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. extension of a country’s power over others

2. naval infantry force

3. placements of artillery

4. protection and partial control of a weaker state by a stronger one

5. 50 years

6. portion of a fleet

7. involvement in difficulties

8. rulers

9. be rid of, eliminate

10. said, spoke

ANSWERS: 1. imperialism

2. Marines 3. gun batteries

4. protectorate 5. half-century

6. squadron 7. entanglement

8. overlords 9. throw off

10. uttered