How is the Spanish-American war viewed today?

37 comments

1. It’s just a footnote that happened.

   Historically it was the first time the US had a navy that actually accomplished something (attacking The Philippines) but WWI and WWII had way more of an impact making the US what what it is today, as far as recent(-ish) wars go.

2. Most people forget about it. Us history nerds kinda remember it. But I’ve never met anyone that was obsessed with it like people are with WW2 or the civil war

3. It’s considered largely forgotten unless you’re a history nerd or have a specific interest in these events.

4. I don’t think it’s considered a ton day to day. It didn’t cost many casualties and unfortunately was overshadowed by the massive costly world wars which followed. If it does come up it’s usually in the context of America buildings it’s first empire. My education mostly discussed it as a factor of the fall of Spain as a power and the US entering the world stage in a more forceful way. Some focus was paid to the injustice in the Philippines and the . . . complicated relationship with Cuba. Honestly, it’s probably most important in the present because it led to the permanent lease on Guantanamo Bay. If not it’s remembered for the phrase “remember the Maine.”

   Ps. I did want to note we didn’t get Hawaii as part of the Spanish-American War. It was about the same time but it was totally separate. Hawaii was an independent nation previously. Or group of nations if you go far enough.

5. Most will know nearly nothing about it.

6. Barely viewed at all. The Spanish, Mexican, and Philippine wars are all footnotes in the minds of many.

7. It’s somewhat obscure today. I think it’s mostly remembered as a turkey shoot against a woefully underprepared enemy, a stepping stone in Teddy Roosevelt’s path to the presidency, and the beginning of US hegemony over Cuba.

   I don’t even think that it’s common knowledge that the US ever owned the Philippines, much less that we did for nearly 50 years.

   Also, the annexation of Hawaii has nothing to do with the Spanish-American war, except that it took place in the same year. Hawaii was never a Spanish possession or even a Spanish ally. You may be thinking of Guam.

8. It’s somethint taught in a matter-of-fact fashion in history class.

   Probably most important in school because it is usually used as a prime demonstration of the powers of yellow journalism.

9. Wasn’t there a tax on phone lines to pay off the war debt from the Spanish-American War? A tax that was still showing up on phone bills into the early 21st century.

10. We’re not taught about it in school from my experience, so most Americans probably don’t know about it

11. I mean it’s a war that got kicked off by a ship that probably blew up on its own accord. It did help the U.S. kinda have an advantage in both world wars due to territory gained and the type of warfare that it involved. Was a stepping stone to the U.S. becoming a world superpower and was straight up a show of force by the U.S…

12. I’ll wager a few people my age have at least heard of the USS *Maine*, not to mention “Remember the Maine!” and some may have heard of Hearst and company stirring up war fever. People my grandad’s age might have known the phrase “You may fire when ready, Gridley” as well.

13. An acute embarrassment.

14. I still remember the Maine

    But seriously our justification for the war was questionable, but it was undoubtedly good for the United States.

15. It was a fairly minor war over 120 years ago and of the territories gained, we only hold Puerto Rico today; so most people don’t really think about it too much. Personally I think it was pointless and a reflection of the imperialistic direction the US was going at the time. I’m glad that we (mostly) snapped out of that attitude post WWI as I don’t think we need to be invading random countries for naked land grabs.

16. All I know is that America treats Puerto Rico like shit.

17. It ranges from fully forgotten to a footnote in history books

18. “Remember the Maine!” will forever be known as one of the foremost bullshit propaganda phrases in American history. Among history nerds.

19. Like the War of 1812 and the Korean War. Basically largely forgotten about.

20. Neither. It’s pretty distant and doesn’t hold a lot cultural relevancy for the average American.

    History nerds will definitely see it as very notable.

    E: I think it’s funny there’s at least two other mentions of “history nerds”. I am one.

21. Helping Cuba was good, colonizing Cuba, Phillipines, and Puerto Rico wasn’t

22. All I remember from US history class is something, something, USS Maine and something, something, Yellow Journalism.

23. Nobody really expresses any pride in it, it’s just a fact of history that is regarded in neutral terms. It’s attributed primarily to the nation’s imperial ambitions, desire to remove Europeans from the western hemisphere, and it’s widely acknowledged that we staged the burning of our own ships to justify declaring war.

    It’s not seen as being anywhere near as controversial as the taking of Hawaii by force, or the brutalization of the Philippines AFTER the war with Spain. Most Americans who are even slightly well read on the topic admit that our government treated the Hawaiians the the Filipinos horribly.

    You’re not going to meet many Americans period who will downplay or justify the crimes committed during slavery, native genocides, or colonization———unlike, say, a nation like Turkey. Culture of denial doesn’t really exist here.

24. The average american probably has no idea about it

25. We blamed the Maine on Spain for it. Honestly, it’s a war to make America an empire, and that’s not fun.

26. It is mostly ignored.

27. Most Americans probably never heard of it. 20 years ago or so they did a multiple choice test for Americans to guess which 50 year period that the American Civil War took place in. Adults that presumably graduated high school only got it correctly 33% of time with 4 possible answers. I was so embarrassed. But as bad as the average American is at History (US or World) they’re even worse at Geography (Political, World, Cultural). Maybe they could do decent at Physical+US Geography. Lots of Americans don’t realize that the Philippines was a colony or that Puerto Ricans are US citizens.

28. Do you think I payed attention in history class?

29. It’s ancient history. No one but historians care or think about it.

30. Hardly ever mentioned.

31. I’m in school to be a history teacher and we really don’t talk about it a whole lot. It is mentioned and maybe there will be a few questions on a test about it but… it isn’t a huge thing that we talk about for hours and hours. When I was in high school we skimmed over it pretty quick tbh

32. Mark Twain was highly critical of it.

33. Great success!

34. It’s the forgotten war, lol. Plenty of people never even heard of it.

35. Honestly don’t even remember learning about it at all

36. it’s not often thought about it, I’m fond of that particular war, I think it’s cool and interesting and I like learning about it.

37. From history class I remember it in the context of the rise of Teddy Roosevelt and the preeminence of yellow journalism: https://www.history.com/news/spanish-american-war-yellow-journalism-hearst-pulitzer