USPS on 15 February 1998 issued a 32-cent stamp commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the USS Maine which lead to the Spanish-American War. It was captioned with the headline "Remember The Maine". The image of the ship comes from an 1898 bandanna. This stamp was the only one issued on the centennial of the Spanish-American War, although the stamp didn't bear any explanation of the USS Maine’s relevance to the war.
The cancellation postmark for the first day of release was Key West, Florida. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed 30,000,000 stamps. Printing Method of this red and black stamp was lithographed and engraved with 11.2 x 11 perforations. The cachet shown her depicts the explosion that took place.
The USS Maine had arrived in Havana, Cuba, in 1898 to serve American interests in the Cuban revolt against Spain. The ship sunk on 15 February 1898, when her forward gunpowder magazines exploded, killing 266 out of 350 crew members. At the time, the American public blamed Spain for the accident, but today the cause of the incident is considered a mystery. A court of inquiry found that the blast was caused by a mine, and many historians think the explosion was the result of spontaneous combustion in a coal bunker.
Subsequently, with the aid of "yellow journalism" propagated by Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, the USS Maine became the provocation for the U.S. to declare war on Spain two months later. The American press frequently had printed stories exaggerating Spain’s oppression of Cubans. This “yellow journalism” was used to create more exciting news stories and increase newspaper sales. As a result, many Americans wanted to intervene in the conflict.
Additionally, some Americans wanted the U.S. to become an imperial power and create naval and military bases in Cuba. President William McKinley pressured Spain to give Cuba limited self-rule. This was granted in November 1897. This act only further complicated the conflict, as pro-Spain Cubans began rioting in Havana in protest.
The situation in Cuba led President McKinley to send the battleship USS Maine to protect American interests. The ship arrived in Havana Harbor on 25 January 1898. On 15 February 1898, the USS Maine mysteriously exploded while moored in Havana Harbor. The American press blamed a Spanish mine, popularising the slogan “Remember the Maine. To hell with Spain!”
On 25 April 1898, America formally declared that a state of war had existed with Spain since 21 April. By August, the Spanish had surrendered.
The USS Maine had arrived in Havana, Cuba, in 1898 to serve American interests in the Cuban revolt against Spain. The ship sunk on 15 February 1898, when her forward gunpowder magazines exploded, killing 266 out of 350 crew members. At the time, the American public blamed Spain for the accident, but today the cause of the incident is considered a mystery. A court of inquiry found that the blast was caused by a mine, and many historians think the explosion was the result of spontaneous combustion in a coal bunker.
Subsequently, with the aid of "yellow journalism" propagated by Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, the USS Maine became the provocation for the U.S. to declare war on Spain two months later. The American press frequently had printed stories exaggerating Spain’s oppression of Cubans. This “yellow journalism” was used to create more exciting news stories and increase newspaper sales. As a result, many Americans wanted to intervene in the conflict.
Additionally, some Americans wanted the U.S. to become an imperial power and create naval and military bases in Cuba. President William McKinley pressured Spain to give Cuba limited self-rule. This was granted in November 1897. This act only further complicated the conflict, as pro-Spain Cubans began rioting in Havana in protest.
The situation in Cuba led President McKinley to send the battleship USS Maine to protect American interests. The ship arrived in Havana Harbor on 25 January 1898. On 15 February 1898, the USS Maine mysteriously exploded while moored in Havana Harbor. The American press blamed a Spanish mine, popularising the slogan “Remember the Maine. To hell with Spain!”
On 25 April 1898, America formally declared that a state of war had existed with Spain since 21 April. By August, the Spanish had surrendered.
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