The controversy between America and Spain was brief but intense, which led to the America gaining possessions to colonize in. After twenty one days after arriving in Havana the U.S.S. Maine mysteriously exploded giving America a reason to start a war. This war would make imperialistic hungry Americans shocked and angered, immediately blaming Spain for the explosion causing the Spanish-American war. During the years of 1897 and 1898, Americans looked for an excuse to expand the country. When the warship the Maine exploded the United States used it as a reason to start a war, gaining them Cuba and the Philippines, and urging Americans to develop nationalism.
A number of factors contributed to the U.S. decision to go to war against Spain. .
Since the early years of the 19th century, many Americans had watched with sympathy the series of revolutions that ended Spanish authority throughout South America, Central America, and Mexico. Many people in the United States were irritated that the Spanish flag continued to fly in Cuba and Puerto Rico. The brutality with which Spain put down Cuban demands for a degree of local autonomy and personal liberty aroused both sympathy and anger. Support for the cause of Cuban independence had deep historical roots in the United States, and this cause became the stated objective of the war. However, I believe that the U.S. reason for going to war was primarily due to their the growing imperialism and Cuba s independence was just a good excuse for them to try to extend American influence overseas knowing that they would be able to defeat Spain. .
The United States was booming industrially and without a foreign market, the country would have been fully saturated and very little consuming could be done. Therefore, fighting Spain for a noble cause would make them look good as well as be able to force Spain to give up much of their territories for the US to make use of.