The effect of the De Lome Letter was written by THE Spanish Ambassador to the United States, Eurique Dupuy de Lome, it was criticized by the American President WILLIAM MCKINLEY by calling him weak and concerned only was gaining the favor of the crowd. The Maine explodes was a massive explosion of an unknown origin that sinks the battleship of the USS Maine in Cuba’s Havana harbor, KILLING 260 of the fewer than 400 American crew members aboard. One of the FIRST American battleships, the Maine weighed more than 6,000 tons and was built at a cost of more than $2 MILLION. The OFFICIAL investigation of the USS Maine explosion may have taken weeks or even months to complete, but however it has already been clear that Spain is the culprit, and has made a negative imprint on society.

On February 15, 1898, the event that still remains a mystery, the Maine had suddenly exploded as it was sailing around Havana harbor. It was a tragedy for the United States, as 260 out of 350 American sailors and officers died in the explosion. The destruction of the Maine created an uproar in America, which was influenced by HEARST, it immediately held Spain responsible. The Spanish investigation team claimed that the explosion was only an accident caused by some internal problem on the ship, the American investigation said the explosion MUST have been caused by a SPANISH MINE in the harbor. JAMES WITHERMAN, an American stationed in Cuba says “When I saw the explosion I knew it was the work of the Spanish, I had read about the De Lome Letters, and the Spanish’s grudge against the United States, and there was no doubt that the Spanish were behind this.”