The dawn of a new colonial era under the United States.
By: Astrid Cordero
Captain Alfred T. Mahan became the chief strategist and advisor to his government during the 1880's. He played a key role in the Spanish-American War, as military strategist and close adviser to President McKinley during the conflict.. By: Astrid Cordero
In 1894 the first plans for a military conflict with Spain was made in the U.S. in 1896, a formal war plan developed by Lt. William W. Kimball. The aim was to "free Cuba" from Spanish rule. The main theater of operations would be the Caribbean, focusing on Cuba and Puerto Rico l, coastal regions, and conflict involving naval operations only. Under this plan, U.S. naval power would be used against the Spanish Armada at the points where the enemy is confronted with a force equal to or superior. The Department of the Navy began preparing operational in early 1898. They took into consideration a lot of intelligence reports on weaknesses of the Spanish forces .* The mysterious explosion of the Maine boat in Havana harbor, killing some 300 U.S. marines February 15, 1898, was the turning point for the U.S. to launch war operations. Accordingly, on 21 April (1898), President McKinley asked Congress to U.S. declares war against Spain.
The Spanish-American War lasted about four months. On May 1, U.S. forces destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, Philippines, dealing a decisive blow to the Spanish Armada. Given the weakness of the Spanish forces, the U.S. decided to expand his campaign and bring the troops land. It also changed its strategy to Cuba and is expected to military operations against Havana, capital of the island and the key position of Spain in the Caribbean. U.S. troops landed in Cuba in late June and on July 17 destroyed the Spanish fleet stationed in the bay of Santiago de Cuba, thus ensuring total control of the waterways in the Caribbean. Following these events, President McKinley established the conditions for peace negotiations. The evacuation of Cuba by Spanish forces and their transfer to the United States was the imposition of order and the formation of a government established on the island and McKinley's second question was the transfer of Puerto Rico from the Spanish authorities to the United States without compensation.
On July 18, General Nelson A. Miles received orders to sail to Puerto Rico. About 18,000 U.S. soldiers with a naval escort left for Puerto Rico from Guantánamo Bay and the East Coast of the United States. They landed at Guanica Bay July 25, reaching the city of Ponce and other villages in the southern part of the island. U.S. troops arrived in San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico and the main message of the Spanish military forces on the island. President McKinley conditions for a peace agreement prevailed over peace negotiations and finally ratified the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898.
The transfer from Puerto Rico to the United States took two months from August 12 to October 18, when the last Spanish troops sailed back to Spain and the U.S. flag raised in most public buildings in the island. A military government was established under the command of General John R. Brooke. The Treaty of Paris gave control of the United States on all former Spanish military facilities and about 120,000 hectares of land that formerly belonged to the Spanish Crown in the island. The main military outposts were in the capital city of San Juan along with military bases in the towns of Cayey, Aibonito, Ponce, Mayaguez, Aguadilla and the adjacent island of Vieques. Puerto Rico remained under the direct control of U.S. military forces until the U.S. Congress ratified the Foraker Act, 12 April 1900, bringing a civil government to the island.
Bibliography:
Brás, M. (2010). The Changing of the Guard: Puerto Rico in 1898. Retrieved in February 8, 2011. URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/bras.html
