Question

Why was the United States willing to fight in the Spanish-American War? Check all that apply.

to protect economic interests in Cuba
to help Cuba gain independence
to encourage other nations to accept Spanish rule
to avenge the sinking of the Maine
to support plantation owners in Spain

Answer 1

- to protect economic interests in Cuba — Yes. American businesses had large investments in Cuban sugar and tobacco and wanted stability and protection for those interests.
- to help Cuba gain independence — Yes. Cuban independence was a major public and political motivation, amplified by humanitarian concerns and yellow journalism.
- to avenge the sinking of the Maine — Yes. The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor (1898) galvanized public opinion and was used as a casus belli, though the exact cause remained unclear.

The other two are incorrect: the U.S. did not seek to encourage other nations to accept Spanish rule, nor to support plantation owners in Spain.