Question

Spanish-American War): How did internal unrest in Latin America lead to media support of U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War?

A. The media believed U.S. involvement would stabilize the region.
B. U.S. businesses had significant interests in Latin American markets.
C. The media saw an opportunity to expand U.S. influence in the region.
D. Latin American leaders requested U.S. intervention to restore order.

Answer 1

Media support for U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War was primarily due to the economic interests of U.S. businesses and the expansion of U.S. influence in the region, amplified by sensationalist yellow journalism. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Internal unrest in Latin America led to media support of U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War for several reasons, but primarily because the media, driven by yellow journalism, believed that U.S. involvement would bring stability and advance U.S. interests in the region.

Business interests, such as those in the sugar industry, supported intervention to protect their investments. Similarly, the media presented a unilateral view that painted U.S. involvement as a campaign for freedom and democracy, using the Cuban struggle for independence and Spanish cruelty to stir public emotion and support.

Some media outlets saw an opportunity to expand U.S. influence in the region amid competition from European powers, aligning with the Monroe Doctrine's principle of American predominance in the Western Hemisphere.