The war between the United States and Spain in 1898 receives relatively little attention in most history texts, yet it is an event of great importance. The country emerged as the world's greatest power in the 20th century and the war with Spain was in many ways a stepping-stone from one era of American history to the next. It brought Americans face to face with the fact that aggressive nationalism could be crowned with splendour and fraught with danger. An overview essay begins the text and is followed by five essays on specific aspects of the war and then a conclusion. A biographical section of sketches of Americans, Spaniards, Cubans and Filipinos who played important roles show the human element involved in the events and 15 primary documents allow readers and researchers to see with their own eyes the way events transpired and were reported. The book provides everything students or interested readers need to begin their research into this watershed event in American history. Essays cover topics such as the origins of the War, the campaigns in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines and the peace process.
Biographical sketches feature people like McKinley, Roosevelt, Sagasta, Aguinaldo and Marti; and excerpts from primary documents range from the Spanish Declaration of War against the United States, to Roosevelt's descriptions of the attack on Kettle Hill, to "Mr Dooley's" comments on the war, to the Protocol of Peace. Added to these are a timeline and an annotated bibliography.