Question

Question 3 (5 points)

1. What kinds of words does President McKinley use to describe the explosion of the

USS Maine? (5pts)

o

9

Answer 1

President McKinley described the USS Maine explosion cautiously and called for an investigation rather than immediately blaming Spain, contrasting with the sensationalist press. McKinley's approach was focused on fact-finding over speculation, while contemporary reports have suggested the cause was likely an internal accident.

Step-by-step explanation:

President William McKinley described the explosion of the USS Maine using cautious and investigative language as opposed to the sensationalist vocabulary employed by the yellow press. Following the mysterious explosion on February 15, 1898, which killed over 250 American sailors, McKinley ordered an investigation to determine the causes. While the press quickly blamed Spain for the attack, calling for vengeance with cries of "Remember the Maine!", McKinley sought $50 million from Congress to prepare for a potential war, but remained reserved, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation before jumping to conclusions.

Despite the sensational headlines from newspapers like the New York World, which offered a hefty reward for the identification of the alleged Spanish attackers and proclaimed the explosion as high drama, there was a notable absence of clear evidence to support such claims at the time. McKinley's response was measured, focusing on collecting facts and preparing for any eventuality, rather than responding to the public's rallying cry fueled by speculation. This prudent stance contrasted with the yellow journalism of the era which favored thrilling narratives over substantiated facts.

Ultimately, the Presidential board of inquiry determined that the cause of the explosion was external, likely a Spanish mine, which aligned with the opinions of the press, but more recent research attributes the catastrophe to an accident, possibly due to a coal combustion or the proximity of gun powder to the ship's boilers.

Answer 2

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

The kind of words that President McKinley used to describe the explosion of the USS Maine were the following.

He literally said in his discourse: "The Naval Court of Inquiry, which, it is needless to say, commands the unqualified confidence of the government, was unanimous in its conclusion that the destruction of the Main was caused by an exterior explosion that of a submarine mine. It did not assume to place the responsibility. That remains to be fixed."

On February 15, 1898, US President William McKinley understood that probably diplomacy was not the only way to solve the situation in Cuba. The USS MAin ship had been sunk by the Spanish Navy. Some theories stated that it had not been the Spaniards who sank the USS Main, but a mine. A lot of controversies started on this issue. Using this sinking as the main argument, President McKinley asked Congress a declaration of war against Spain on April 20, 1898. After four months of armed conflicts, the United States won the Spanish-American War.