It was mysteriously blown up, and many of its crew
were killed. The cause of the explosion is still unknown.
American chauvinists chose to believe that the ship had been
deliberately destroyed, and they demanded retaliation. Before
long, American troops were sent to "liberate" the Cubans from
Spanish oppression.
Although the number of Negro troops who participated in the
Spanish-American War was small, they fought heroically and
contributed significantly to the American victory. The Negro
participants served in segregated units. These included the 9th
and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry units. In the
battle of San Juan Hill, the Negro cavalry opened the way for the
Rough Riders' famous charge which was led by Theodore Roosevelt.
Later in the day, the 24th Infantry came up from the rear to
support the action
At the end of the war, Spain gave the United States sovereignty
over Puerto Rico and, for the payment of a sum of money, the U.S.
also gained the Philippines. Spain gave up her sovereignty
over Cuba, but its future status was not made clear. American
public opinion had become so wed to the cause of democracy in
Cuba that the American government felt it could not take direct
control of the island.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205