NORTHCOM Battle Knowledge Centers

The Spanish-American War of 1898 is often passed over by scholars and history buffs, but the approach of the centennial has generated a renewed interest in this conflict - its causes, consequences, and conduct - an area surprisingly lacking in study until now. This collection of essays by some of the nation's top naval and military historians examines for the first time the actions of America's naval, military, and diplomatic communities during the war, actions that led to victory against Spain, the U.S. domination of the Philippines, and transformation of the United States into a world power.

An account of the Civil War, discussing political background, military strategy, and battles.

“Remember the Maine!” The war cry spread throughout the United States after the American battleship was blown up in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. Americans, already sympathetic with Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain, demanded action. Brief and decisive, not too costly, the Spanish-American War made the United States a world power. David F. Trask’s War with Spain in 1898 is a cogent political and military history of that “splendid little war.” It describes the failure of diplomacy; the state of preparedness of both sides; the battles, including those of Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders; the enlargement of conflict to rout the Spanish from Puerto Rico and the Philippines; and the misconceptions surrounding the war.

Provides a detailed account of the Spanish-American War. Explores the history of America's territorial expansion, the events leading up to the conflict, and its lasting influence on society. Includes a narrative overview, biographical profiles, primary source documents, and other helpful features.

Charles Johnson Post (1873-1956) received not one but two handmade red flannel bellybands for protection against tropical fevers when he enlisted as a private in 1898 with the 71st New York Infantry. He was paid a monthly wage of $13.00, with an additional $1.30 combat pay per month. Setting off for what he later termed "the little wars that are the mere trivia of history," he came back to write "a mild chronicle of many little men who were painting on a big canvas, and of their little epic routines of life, with a common death at their elbow. It is only the little, but keen, tribulations that made the epic routine of an old-fashioned war."

A comprehensive overview of the Spanish-American War, including biographies and full or excerpted memoirs, speeches, and other source documents.