Yellow Journalism and The Spanish American War

Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst "started" the Spanish-American War more than any actions on the part of Spain. Yellow Journalism was what caused American citizens to care about the plight of the Cubans, and without Americans passionate about the cause, the war would never have started.

Yellow Journalism is not the only reason that Americans wanted to go to war. Many Americans had investments in Cuban and had very strong economic interests in stability for the Cubans. However, McKinley decided to ask congress to declare war because a majority of Americans wanted war, and those with economic interests were not in the majority.

President McKinley was an ear-to-ground president, and he didn't want to go into the Spanish-American war. However, Yellow Journalism's interpretation of the USS Maine's disaster, and the cruelties of the Spanish government in Cuba ultimately inflamed the American people. While McKinley may not have wanted to go to war, he believed in representing the people, and the people wanted to fight the oppressors of liberty they called Spaniards.