Question

Which of the following contributed to the quick victory for the U.S. in the Spanish-American War? Select all that apply. 1. The Rough Riders and Buffalo Soldiers won the Battle of San Juan Hill. 2. The U.S. navy took control of the Manila harbor in the Philippines. 3. The Spanish lost most of their troops to yellow fever, malaria, and typhoid fever. 4. The United States asked for assistance from the Mexican government.

Answer 1

Correct answers: 1 and 2.

- 1 is true: the Rough Riders (led by Theodore Roosevelt) together with African American regiments (the "Buffalo Soldiers") played a key role in the victory at San Juan Hill/Heights in Cuba.
- 2 is true: Commodore George Dewey’s defeat of the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay gave the U.S. naval control in the Philippines and helped produce a rapid collapse of Spanish colonial resistance.
- 3 is misleading/false as stated: disease (yellow fever, malaria, typhoid) did weaken both sides and caused many deaths, but it’s overstated to say Spain “lost most of their troops” to disease and it was not the sole reason for the quick U.S. victory.
- 4 is false: the United States did not ask Mexico for assistance.