SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR PLAY Narrator #1 American #1 Theodore Roosevelt Jose Marti (Cuban Rebel) Joseph Pulitzer Narrator #2 Rough Rider #1 American #2 (Assistant Secretary of Navy) William Randolph Hearst Narrator #3 Rough Rider #2 American #3 Cuban Rebel #1 Emilio Aguinaldo (Filipino rebel leader) Narrator #4 Newspaper Boy American #4 Cuban Rebel #2 Commodore George Dewey Narrator #5 #3 Statement of Inquiry Global competition over resources and power led to American expansion and influence Background From the time of Columbus in the late 1400s until the 1800s, most of the western hemisphere south of the present-day United States was controlled by Spain. This part of the world, known as Latin America, includes present-day Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. In the early 1800s, most of Latin America became independent from Spain, forming many of the separate nations that make up Latin America today. The United States, under the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, promised to protect these new nations from future European interference. The Monroe Doctrine also said, however, that the U.S. would not interfere with any colonies that European countries still had. Although Spain had lost most of Latin America by the 1820s, it still controlled Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spain also held the Philippines and Guam in the Pacific. The people of these colonies were not happy with Spanish rule, and by the late 1800s, rebellions had broken out in Cuba and the Philippines. The Spanish government responded by cracking down harshly on the people of these colonies, depriving them of basic rights and freedoms. In the 1890s, some Americans felt that the United States should get involved to help these colonies overthrow Spanish rule. SCENE 1 - Years of Discontent and Tension in Cuba Narrator #1 – Cuba, 90 miles off the coast of Florida, had been under Spanish rule since Columbus came in 1492. Over the centuries, Cubans grew increasingly discontented (unhappy) with Spain’s harsh rule. In 1869, the Cubans began an uprising that was finally put down 10 years later. As a result, the Spanish began a policy of RECONCENTRATION which is the forced movement of large numbers of people into detention camps for military or political reasons. Cuban Rebel #1 – I can’t believe this! I am outraged! Our government is terrible! The Spanish don’t give us any rights and never let us speak our minds. They oppress us! Cuban Rebel #2 – We should revolt! It’s been too long that we’ve been ruled by a government that is thousands of miles away. Spain shouldn’t control us! We should have control over our own country! Cuban Rebel #1 – YES! What a fantastic idea! Let’s revolt! No longer should we have to deal with these RECONCENTRATION CAMPS that the Spanish have put us. Cuban Rebel #2 – These camps are miserable. How dare they treat us like dogs and force us to stay here against our will! Cuban Rebel #1 – They are disgusting! I’ve heard over 200,000 Cubans have died already from the unsanitary conditions. They barely give us any food to survive! Cuban Rebel #2 – And it’s all because we speak out against Spain and its unfair ways of governing. Cuba should not be ruled in this way. Cubans deserve a government made up of CUBANS! Narrator #1 – Some Cubans who disagreed with the government were exiled or banished from Cuba. Many fled to the United States. Jose Marti, a Cuban exile and poet living in the United States, urged the U.S. to help the Cuban rebels overthrow their oppressive government. Jose Marti – We must help my Cuban friends. They are struggling to survive! Cuba needs the help of a strong ally like America to overthrow the Spanish and their control over Cuba. American #1 – Why should Americans risk getting involved in a skirmish over Spanish rule? This is none of our business at all!!! Isolationism is the policy that we should continue to maintain. American #2 –You can’t be serious! It is our duty to get involved! Cubans deserve independence from Spain…and don’t forget; Cuba has a lot of economic potential for us. American #1 – I can’t believe what you’re saying! You’re an imperialist pig! We cannot interfere! American #2 – You really are a fool! We have about $50 million invested in Cuban sugar and rice plantations, railroads and iron mines. We are crazy not to get involved! Jose Marti – Can’t you be SYMPATHETIC to the Cuban cause? How could you allow another country to imperialize Cuba when you yourselves refused to be controlled by Great Britain? Americans should want to help us! American #1 – I will not be sympathetic! If we interfere, we risk the chance of being pulled into a costly war! Settle your own problems! American #2 – Senor Marti is right! What happens in Cuba directly affects us and our economic relations with Cuba. Call me selfish all you want, but if we get involved we will promote democracy and get our sugar and I can’t drink coffee without sugar!!!! Narrator #1 – Jose Marti returned to Cuba in an attempt to lead a revolt there. He was later killed in a skirmish and did not live to see his dream come true. SCENE 1 SUMMARY QUESTIONS 1a. Why were Cubans angry at the Spanish government? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1b. Why did some Americans feel obligated to get involved in Cuba? Why were some against getting involved? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ SCENE 2 – The Spanish-American War Approaches Narrator #2 – In the United States, there were varying opinions about events that occurred in Cuba. Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World newspaper, and William Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal, developed a style of reporting known as YELLOW JOURNALISM, which used sensational stories and Hearst headlines to persuade and spark interest in their newspapers. Headlines were usually exaggerated and sometimes without truth. William Randolph Hearst – I cannot believe this! The United States government is just ignoring the horrors in Cuba. We must let the public know how bad it is. I hope my newspaper reaps all the benefits of this nasty situation in Cuba. Joseph Pulitzer – Well I know that my upcoming article is bound to get the attention of my readers AND yours! William Randolph Hearst – Your article couldn’t possibly outdo my fantastic headline today “FEEDING PRISONERS TO THE SHARKS!” If that doesn’t get the public’s attention, I don’t know what can! Joseph Pulitzer – Well, beat this Hearst....Tomorrow I plan to grasp America with this awesome headline: “BLOOD ON THE ROADSIDES, BLOOD IN THE FIELDS, BLOOD ON THE DOORSTEPS. BLOOD. BLOOD. BLOOD.” Pulitzer William Randolph Hearst – Well Joe, as lame as that headline is, I have to admit that it would certainly convince Americans that we need to go to war with Spain, even if it isn’t totally true. Despite you being my biggest rival, this might persuade them! Heck, I might believe you too! Narrator #2 – On February 15th at 9:40 p.m. a great explosion happened…. Newspaper Boy – EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! American #3 – (Yells out loud to the crowd) HOLY COW! THE U.S.S. MAINE WAS SUNK! American #4 – WHAT?! How does an entire state get blown up!? American #3 – Noooooo, the U.S.S. Maine is a ship that we had in Havana harbor to protect our American investments and American lives in Cuba during the crazy Cuban revolt. American #4 – Who blew us up? Wait….What? American #3 – They didn’t blow US up, someone blew up our ship! But no one really knows who is responsible. American #4 – Those lousy Frenchmen did it. I know it! American #3 – What? FRANCE? Are you even reading the newspaper headlines? Obviously, the Spanish blew up the U.S.S. Maine to prevent the United States from getting involved in Spain’s colony. American #4 – Are you sure it was the Spanish who did it? American #3 – That’s what the newspaper headlines say. It HAS to be true! American #4 – I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if they just make it all up. American #3 – How could you NOT believe everything you read? American #4 – I guess you’re right. I read the comics sometimes…they seem real to me. Narrator #2 – To this day, no one knows what caused the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine. However, the press and the public blamed Spain. With cries of “Remember the Maine,” Americans demanded revenge. SCENE 2 SUMMARY QUESTIONS 2a. What were the long-term causes of the U.S. going to war with Spain? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2b. What was the immediate cause of the U.S. going to war with Spain? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________