USS+Maine

February 25, 1898 ** “Remember the **//** Maine **//**, to Hell with **** Spain **** ” **** : **** The Sinking of the //USS Maine// ** On February 25, 1898, barely a week after the leaking of the De Lôme letter, came the spark needed for the United States to declare war. The //USS Maine// was a United States warship which had been anchored in the Havana, Cuba. On the 25th of February, the ship suddenly exploded, killing the 260 Americans on board. Immediately, the United States government and press blamed the tragedy on the Spanish. With pushes from yellow press journals, the American population was quickly convinced the Spanish were at fault for the // Maine // explosion and the deaths of fellow Americans. Soon chants of “Remember the // Maine //, To Hell with Spain ” could be heard across the county. The American people united behind the tragedy and the country prepared for war. 