Editing History of Cuba (section)

===USS ''Maine'' incident===
[[File:USSMaine.jpg|thumb|right|The wreckage of the [[USS Maine (ACR-1)|USS ''Maine'']], photographed in 1898]]
The Cuban struggle for independence had captured the North American imagination for years and newspapers had been agitating for intervention with sensational stories of Spanish atrocities. Americans came to believe that Cuba's battle with Spain resembled the United States's [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. North American public opinion was very much in favor of intervening for the Cubans.<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html|title=Crucible of Empire: The Spanish–American War|publisher=PBS|access-date=15 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207053757/http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html|archive-date=7 December 2013|url-status=live}}
</ref>

In January 1898, a riot by Cuban-Spanish loyalists against the new autonomous government broke out in Havana, leading to the destruction of the printing presses of four local newspapers which published articles critical of the [[Spanish Army]]. The U.S. Consul-General cabled Washington, fearing for the lives of Americans living in Havana. In response, the battleship {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|6}} was sent to [[Havana]]. On 15 February 1898, the ''Maine'' was destroyed by an explosion, killing 268 crewmembers. The cause of the explosion has not been clearly established, but the incident focused American attention on Cuba, and President [[William McKinley]] and his supporters could not stop Congress from declaring war to "liberate" Cuba. In an attempt to appease the United States, the colonial government ended the forced relocation policy and offered negotiations with the independence fighters. However, the truce was rejected by the rebels and the concessions proved too late. Madrid asked other European powers for help; they refused.

On 11 April 1898, McKinley asked Congress for authority to send [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. Armed Forces]] troops to Cuba for the purpose of ending the civil war. On 19 April, Congress passed [[joint resolution]]s supporting Cuban independence and disclaiming any intention to annex Cuba, demanding Spanish withdrawal, and authorizing military force to help Cuban patriots gain independence. This included from Senator [[Henry Teller]] the [[Teller Amendment]], which passed unanimously, stipulating that "the island of Cuba is, and by right should be, free and independent".<ref name="webhmz">Cantón Navarro, José. ''History of Cuba'', p. 71.</ref> The amendment disclaimed any intention on the part of the United States to exercise jurisdiction or control over Cuba for other than pacification reasons. War was declared on 20/21 April 1898.