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The Prelude to the Spanish-American War: Blockading Cuban Ports and the Birth of the Rough Riders

Posted on by admin in Spanish-American War, TDH - 04/21, TDH - 04/22

Introduction

The Spanish-American War was a turning point in American history, marking the United States’ emergence as a global power. Two critical events on April 21, 1898, set the stage for the impending conflict: the U.S. Navy began blockading Cuban ports, and Congress authorized the creation of the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, known as the “Rough Riders.”

The Cuban War of Independence and the USS Maine Explosion

The Cuban War of Independence (1895-1898) was a struggle for freedom from Spanish colonial rule. As the conflict escalated, American sympathies largely favored the Cuban rebels. The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, fueled anti-Spanish sentiment in the United States. Many Americans believed Spain was responsible for the explosion, though the actual cause remains unclear.

Blockading Cuban Ports: A Bold Move by President McKinley

On April 21, 1898, President William McKinley ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade Cuban ports with the United States and Spain on the brink of War. The blockade aimed to cut off supplies to Spanish forces in Cuba and provide support for the Cuban rebels. The Spanish-American War’s first action occurred when, on April 22, 1898, the USS Nashville captured a Spanish merchant ship, the Buenaventura, off Key West, Florida.

The Birth of the Rough Riders

On the same day, April 21, 1898, Congress authorized the creation of the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. This unit, popularly known as the “Rough Riders,” was a diverse group of volunteers that included cowboys, miners, law enforcement officials, and college athletes. The Rough Riders were led by Colonel Leonard Wood and future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who served as second-in-command.

The Rough Riders played a significant role in the Spanish-American War, particularly during the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba. Their bravery and daring exploits captured the American public’s imagination and contributed to Theodore Roosevelt’s later political success.

The Spanish-American War and its Aftermath

The United States officially declared War on Spain on April 25, 1898, initiating the Spanish-American War. The conflict lasted for just over three months and saw decisive U.S. victories in Cuba and the Philippines. The Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the War and began the United States’ emergence as a global power. Spain relinquished control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States, effectively ending the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Pacific.

Conclusion

April 21, 1898, events set the stage for the Spanish-American War and the United States’ rise as a global power. The blockade of Cuban ports and the formation of the Rough Riders demonstrated the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting Cuban independence and its willingness to intervene in regional conflicts. These actions shaped the course of the Spanish-American War. They had lasting consequences for American foreign policy and the nation’s role on the world stage.

Key Learning Points:

  • Tensions between the United States and Spain escalated due to the Cuban War of Independence, with the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, further increasing tensions.
  • On April 21, 1898, President William McKinley ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade Cuban ports. The blockade aimed to cut off supplies to Spanish forces in Cuba and support Cuban rebels.
  • The USS Nashville captured a Spanish merchant ship, the Buenaventura, off Key West, Florida, marking the first action of the Spanish-American War.
  • Congress authorized the creation of the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, also known as the “Rough Riders,” on April 21, 1898.
  • The Rough Riders were a diverse group of volunteers led by Colonel Leonard Wood and future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
  • The Spanish-American War officially began on April 25, 1898, when the United States declared War on Spain, and lasted for just over three months.
  • The Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the conflict and began the United States’ emergence as a global power.

The Ypiranga Incident: A Pivotal Episode in U.S.-Mexican Relations during the Mexican Revolution

Posted on by admin in America in the Mexican Revolution, TDH - 04/21

Introduction

The Ypiranga Incident, which occurred on April 21, 1914, was a significant event in U.S.-Mexican relations during the Mexican Revolution.  The incident involved the interception of a German ship, the SS Ypiranga, carrying arms for the Mexican government.  The event unfolded against escalating tensions between the United States and Mexico, ultimately leading to the U.S. occupation of the Mexican city of Veracruz.

Historical Context: The Mexican Revolution and U.S. Involvement

The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) was a profound social and political upheaval in Mexico.  It began with the overthrow of long-time dictator Porfirio Díaz.  It saw various factions vying for power, including the forces of Francisco Madero, Victoriano Huerta, and Venustiano Carranza.

In February 1913, General Victoriano Huerta seized power in a coup against the democratically-elected president Francisco Madero.  Huerta’s regime was met with widespread opposition within Mexico and suspicion from the U.S. government led by President Woodrow Wilson.  Wilson refused to recognize Huerta’s government and actively supported the Constitutionalists, a faction led by Venustiano Carranza, who sought to restore democratic rule in Mexico.

The Tampico Affair and Escalating Tensions

In April 1914, tensions between the U.S. and Mexico reached a boiling point following the Tampico Affair, a minor incident in which Mexican forces briefly arrested U.S. sailors in the port city of Tampico.  Although the sailors were released, the U.S. demanded an official apology and a 21-gun salute.  When Huerta’s government refused, President Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to occupy the Mexican port of Veracruz.

The Ypiranga Incident

On April 21, 1914, the same day U.S. forces began occupying the Mexican city of Veracruz, the German ship SS Ypiranga arrived in the harbor, carrying a shipment of arms and munitions destined for Huerta’s government.  The U.S. Navy intercepted the ship, forcing it to turn back and preventing the delivery of the weapons.  The Ypiranga Incident further strained U.S.-Mexican relations and bolstered the U.S. government’s determination to weaken Huerta’s regime.

The Occupation of Veracruz and its Aftermath

The occupation of Veracruz by U.S. forces lasted for over six months, from April to November 1914.  The intervention contributed to the weakening of Huerta’s regime, which ultimately collapsed in July 1914.  Following Huerta’s downfall, the U.S. withdrew its forces from Veracruz.  It turned its attention to the ongoing conflict between various factions within Mexico, including Carranza’s Constitutionalists and the forces of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa.

Conclusion

The Ypiranga Incident was critical to U.S. intervention in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution.  The event highlighted the complex interplay of international diplomacy, arms shipments, and the struggle for power within Mexico.  The incident also illustrated the willingness of the United States to assert its influence in the region and intervene in the affairs of its southern neighbor.  While the Ypiranga Incident did not resolve the broader conflict of the Mexican Revolution, it remains a pivotal episode in the history of U.S.-Mexican Relations.

Key Learning Points:

  • The Ypiranga Incident occurred on April 21, 1914, during the Mexican Revolution.
  • The incident involved the interception of a German ship, the SS Ypiranga, which was carrying arms for the Mexican government led by Victoriano Huerta.
  • The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) saw various factions vying for power, including the forces of Francisco Madero, Victoriano Huerta, and Venustiano Carranza.
  • In February 1913, General Victoriano Huerta seized power in a coup against democratically-elected president Francisco Madero.
  • President Woodrow Wilson refused to recognize Huerta’s government and supported the Constitutionalists, a faction led by Venustiano Carranza.
  • The Tampico Affair occurred in April 1914, when U.S. sailors were briefly arrested by Mexican forces, further escalating tensions between the U.S. and Mexico.
  • President Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to occupy the Mexican port of Veracruz after the Tampico Affair.
  • The occupation of Veracruz lasted from April to November 1914.  It contributed to the weakening of Huerta’s regime, which collapsed in July 1914.

The Capture of Nuremberg: A Turning Point in WWII and the Path to Justice

Posted on by admin in TDH - 04/20, World War II

On April 20, 1945, the U.S. Army achieved a significant victory in the closing days of World War II by capturing Nuremberg, Germany. Nuremberg was an important symbol of the Nazi regime, and its fall marked a turning point in the war. This event hastened the end of the conflict and paved the way for the Nuremberg Trials, which sought to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.

Nuremberg’s Importance

Nuremberg held a unique position under the Nazi regime. Adolf Hitler considered the city the “most German of all German cities.” He hosted numerous Nazi party rallies and propaganda events. The Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jews of their German citizenship and laid the groundwork for the Holocaust, were passed here in 1935. Thus, capturing the city was strategically and symbolically important for the Allies.

The Battle for Nuremberg

The U.S. Army’s 45th and 26th Infantry Divisions played crucial roles in the battle for Nuremberg. As they approached the city, they faced fierce resistance from German troops, including SS units and Hitler’s Youth. Despite the challenges, the American forces methodically advanced, engaging in intense street-to-street fighting and clearing out pockets of resistance. After six days of combat, on April 20, 1945, the city fell to the Allies.

The Aftermath and the Path to Justice

With Nuremberg under Allied control, the stage was set for one of the most significant post-war events: the Nuremberg Trials. Held between November 20, 1945, and October 1, 1946, these trials aimed to bring leading Nazi war criminals to justice.  The trials were groundbreaking in many ways, establishing the principle of individual responsibility for war crimes and setting a precedent for future international criminal tribunals.

During the Nuremberg Trials, 22 high-ranking Nazi officials were charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, and conspiracy to commit these crimes.  Of the 22 defendants, 12 were sentenced to death; three were acquitted, and the remaining seven received prison sentences of varying lengths.

Conclusion

The capture of Nuremberg marked a turning point in World War II. It signaled the beginning of the end for the Nazi regime.  The Nuremberg Trials that followed was a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during the war.  These trials also established the foundation for modern international law concerning war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Today, the legacy of the capture of Nuremberg and the subsequent trials continue to shape our understanding of justice, accountability, and the need for constant vigilance against the forces of hatred and tyranny.

Keep Him Flying! – Buy War Bonds

Posted on by admin in World War II
1943 – by George Schreiber

The art was designed and painted by George Schreiber.  The poster depicts a fighter pilot hurrying to get in his plane.  As the rushing pilot fastens his harness and keeps an eye on the skies beyond him, it is apparent that a battle will take place.  The pilot is a veteran of these battles, as indicated by the six rising sun Japanese flags pasted below the cockpit, representing the pilot’s confirmed victories. 

It was evident that the war effort needed guns, bombs, and tanks, but these posters were a more subtle form of warfare.  They were designed to win the American people’s hearts and minds.  Encouraging the American people to support the war effort was a wartime industry, almost as important as manufacturing bullets and planes.  The government launched a propaganda campaign with clear strategies to rouse public support to accomplish this goal.  The principal methods of this battle were posters, books, and films.    

A principal piece of that effort was the development of War Bond posters.  Bond posters encouraged every man, woman, and child to tolerate the personal sacrifice and adjustments for the national war agenda.  The posters were used for financing the war effort, as they encouraged rationing, conservation, and sacrifice.  

View an Original at Maine Military Museum and Learning Center

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For Home and Country – Victory Liberty Loan

Posted on by admin in World War I
1918 – by Alfred Everitt Orr

Alfred Everitt Orr designed and painted this poster.  He uses patriotic red, white, and blue to emphasize the scene in the poster.  The poster appealed to prospective viewers’ patriotism and love of home and country.  The happy family that the poster depicts is of a battle-worn soldier returning home to his son and wife.  The proud wife is feeling his distinguished service medal.  This depiction was the hope that all families had for their returning fathers and husbands.

The Treasury Department expected these emotions would be enough to sell thousands of bonds throughout the United States. These bond posters were printed and sent for display throughout the U.S. to schools, government buildings, community buildings, stores, and libraries The poster is filled with patriotic imagery for the Victory Liberty Loan campaign of 1918.  In 1917 and 1918, to bring in money for the country’s war efforts, the Treasury of the United States released four separate Liberty bonds.  The bonds would yield three to four percent interest after a ten-year maturity to encourage people to buy them. As a campaign to sell the Bonds, Treasury Secretary, William McAdoo, recruited movie stars, artists, and Boy Scouts to support the effort.   The propaganda campaign created a range of information and propaganda, such as this poster.

View an Original at Maine Military Museum and Learning Center

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Beat Back the Hun

Posted on by admin in World War I
1918 – by Frederick Strothmann

This poster illustrated the war as a fight between good and evil.  It embodied the German enemy as a savage killing machine.  Calling them “Huns” was a derogatory word for the Germans from 4th and 6th-century tribes known for their barbarism.  

This poster was produced by the U.S. during World War I to promote support for the war.  This poster shows an inhuman and enormous German soldier, his head and shoulders on the horizon over a war-stricken landscape.  He holds a gun with a bloody smeared bayonet in his right hand and his left hand resting on a ruined structure with bloody fingers.  The caption, “Beat Back the HUN with LIBERTY BONDS,” took advantage of the fear of Americans and urged them to buy liberty bonds to finance the war.

View an Original at Maine Military Museum and Learning Center

Buy Reproduction

Gee!!  I wish I were a man, I’d join the Navy

Posted on by admin in World War I
1917 – by Howard Chandler Christy featuring Bernice Smith

Bernice Smith was an enthusiastic 20-year-old woman who stopped by a  California recruiting office and was interested in signing up with the Navy.  When she saw all of the young men enlisting, Bernice uttered the words, “Gee I wish I were a man; I’d join the Navy.”  With these words, Bernice Smith immortalized herself in American history.

Bernice did not realize that one of America’s most famous illustrators, Howard Chandler Christy was present at the recruiting station.  Captivated by what Bernice had said, Christy asked her to pose for a Navy recruitment poster.  Bernice gladly accepted.  Christy drew her dressed up in a sailor’s outfit, and he used her quote as the central message of the poster.

This poster was the first time sex appeal was used in a recruiting poster, encouraging men to join the Navy.  Surprisingly, ten days after posing for the poster, Smith returned to the recruiting office and successfully enlisted in the Navy, becoming the first California woman to do so.  She had a successful three years in the Navy and rose to the rank of Chief Yeoman.  During World War II, Smith served another tour of duty with the Army.

Further Reading – They Said She Couldn’t So She Did – by Kendra Blevins Ford 

View an Original at Maine Military Museum and Learning Center

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The 15th Maine Regiment Flag

Posted on by admin in Civil War

The Maine Military Museum is the proud owner of the original civil war flag that was planted in Texas by the 15th Maine Regiment. The flag was given to the museum after a long history in the hands of one family.

Come in and see it today!

‘Upon the organization of the expedition to southern Texas, by Major-Gen Banks, the 13th Maine Regiment and 15th Maine Regiment were ordered to report to General Napoleon Dana and left New Orleans for the Rio Grande, on Oct. 23rd.  After a sea­voyage of ten days, during which they encountered a very furious gale, and barely escaped ship-wreck, they landed on the Island of Brazos Santiago, Texas, the flag of the 15th Maine being the first to spread to the breeze upon Texas soil.’

‘The steamer Gen. Banks -in a disabled condition- was the first to cross the bar, followed closely by the Clinton: the two vessels containing two Maine regiments. The first boat-load of troops to reach the shore were from the Clinton, but by some oversight, the boat carried no flag; and, it is well understood that “the planting of the stars and stripes upon Texas soil” was one of the chief objects of the expedition, there was very naturally more or less rivalry among the soldiers on the two vessels as to who should first accomplish that great desideratum.  The honor fell to the lot of a detachment of Company B, of Fifteenth Maine. The company happened to be the owner of a company flag, and this was taken ashore in the first boat landing from the Banks -the agile Private James R. Oliver most expeditiously taking it to the roof of an old building on the island, and waving it in the breeze, amidst the tumultuous cheers of the soldiers on the vessels within view of the very romantic and inspiring spectacle. The men from Maine-the extreme north-eastern state of the Union -had restored the country’s flag to a point upon the extreme southwestern portion of the territory so long held by the confederate forces, and almost within sight of the inhabitants of foreign nationality. The Maine boys were a long distance from the “State of the Pine Tree,” but they were entirely “at home” even upon a barren island, with “Old Glory ” proudly floating over their heads!’

References:

The Northern Monthly: A Magazine of Original Literature and Military Affairs.  “The 13th and 15th Maine Veteran Volunteers.” p. 498 {1864). United States: Bailey and Noyes.

Shorey, Henry A. The Story of the Maine Fifteenth; Being a Brief Narrative of the Most Important Events in the History of the Fifteenth Maine Regiment. Bridgton, Maine: Press of the Bridgton News, 1890.

Updated Donation Links

Posted on by admin in Uncategorized

The museum has updated its donation links to allow for both one-time and recurring donations. Due to the greatly reduced visitor volume, we have seen a dramatic drop in donations.

All of our staff are volunteers and are not paid to help. In fact, many of them give much more than their share of time and resources to make the museum a success, but they can’t do it alone.

Please help the museum continue its mission to honor those who served and to educate others about their sacrifices.

Please donate now.