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Difficulty: EasyImperialism and the Spanish-American War

"DESTRUCTION OF THE WAR SHIP MAINE WAS THE WORK OF AN ENEMY

Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Convinced the Explosion of the War Ship Was Not an Accident. . . .

The Journal Offers $50,000 Reward for the Conviction of the Criminals Who Sent 258 American Sailors to Their Deaths."

— New York Journal, February 17, 1898

The event described in the headline and excerpt contributed most directly to which of the following?

  1. A
    The entry of the United States into the First World War
  2. B
    The formation of a defensive military alliance with Latin American nations
  3. The outbreak of the Spanish-American WarAnswer
  4. D
    The initiation of a containment policy to limit the spread of Soviet influence

Answer

The outbreak of the Spanish-American War
The correct answer is correct because the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in February 1898, combined with the sensationalist yellow press coverage that blamed Spain for the blast, whipped up American public opinion and directly catalyzed the outbreak of the Spanish-American War later that year.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the key event and historical context.
The stimulus is a front-page headline from the New York Journal in February 1898 reporting on the destruction of the warship Maine in Havana Harbor and accusing an enemy of the explosion.
Understanding the source's content and date (1898) sets the timeline and context for the question.
2
Evaluate the immediate historical consequence of the sinking of the USS Maine and the yellow journalism surrounding it.
The public anger generated by reports like this one pressured President McKinley and Congress to declare war on Spain, launching the Spanish-American War.
This connects the source directly to its primary historical outcome.
3
Compare the options to determine which event was directly caused by the Maine's destruction.
The outbreak of the Spanish-American War matches the event, while the entry into World War I, containment, and defensive alliances represent different eras or diplomatic strategies.
This confirms the correct option while eliminating the distractors.

Key Concept

The causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War, specifically the sinking of the USS Maine and the role of yellow journalism.
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Topics

Imperialism and the Spanish-American War

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