EXPLORE:

Use the following activities to investigate related topics on the web.
Alternative 1: Deepening the Inquiry—Why did the US invade Cuba in 1898?
  1. Go to http://historymatters.gmu.edu/search.php. Enter “1898” into the space for “Keyword” and check the “Many Pasts” button on the bottom left-hand corner.
  2. Select two documents that tell you about the context of the time and that potentially influence your interpretation of the causes of the Spanish-American War.
  3. For each document, list:
    • Its author,
    • The time/place of origin
    • The url where you found it.
  4. Read and analyze each document (Remember to use questions to source, contextualize, read closely, and corroborate as you read). Answer the following question for each document in one paragraph. (Total: 2 paragraphs).
    • What (if anything) does this document suggest about the causes of the Spanish-American War?
  5. Explain using examples and quotes from the text.
Alternative 2: Broadening the Inquiry—the Philippines.
  1. Using the list of web sites below, find one primary document and one interpretive passage that sheds light on why the U.S. expanded the Spanish-American War to the Philippines. (Hint: you may need to use two different web sites.)
  2. Print or copy each document.
    • Label the primary document, “Document 1.”
    • Label the interpretive passage, “Document 2.”
    • Write down the author(s), time/place of origin, and the url where you found each.
  3. Read and analyze each document (Remember to use questions to source, contextualize, read closely, and corroborate as you read). Answer the following questions:
    • How can you tell Document 1 is a primary document? How can you tell Document 2 is an interpretive passage? Why might this distinction be important?
    • Write a paragraph for each document: How useful is this document in understanding why the U.S. expanded the Spanish American War to the Philippines?
  4. Explain using examples and quotes from the text.