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A mysterious explosion caused the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor. Some people think that it was bombed and that's what caused the Spanish-American War. But the most supported theory is that the boat itself exploded. Newspapers would say it was a bombing and they offered 50000 dollars for whoever knew who bombed it. Later investigations believe it was probably a boiler explosion in the ship. Her coal (fuel) let out gases that exploded. It was an accidental explosion. There is no definite answer.
What we do know is that USS Maine, a 6,682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship, exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba, on February 15, 1898. The detonation of her forward magazines caused the loss of life of over three quarters of her crew and precipitated the Spanish-American War.
What we don't know, and what remains to this day a subject of sometimes heated controversy, is what caused the explosion. The United States at the time was very satisfied that the government of Spain had something to do with it. The ship, the Navy was convinced, had been deliberately mined. But over time, with the war over and tempers cooled, other theories have been put forth that are less belligerent, including the possibility that a smoldering fire in a coal bunker - a plausible theory - eventually caused enough heat to detonate the magazines.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoIt remains a mystery to this day. The original cause was attributed to a mine. Since then, it has been speculated that it sank as the result of a fire in a coal bunker or that she was deliberately sunk to get the U.S. in war with Spain.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe sinking of the Maine was the event that definitely convinced the US public opinion to push in favor of the war against Spain. The USS Maine battleship was blown up in Havana, Cuba harbor. Spanish sabotage was suspected.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe USS Maine blew up in Havana harbor, and that sparked an outcry in the US that started the Spanish-American War that was fought in Cuba and the Philippines. The question was, what made it blow up? It was assumed that the Spanish had blown it up with a mine or sabotage. It wasn't until recent research and dives to the sunken hulk that it was determined that the ship blew up from an internal explosion, which could have been the result of spontaneous combustion of the coal bin.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoSupport for the quest for Cuban Independence.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe sinking of the US battleship Main occurred on February 15th 1898. Almost three quarters of the crew aboard the battleship died on this navy ship.
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What incident led to Congress's declaring war on Spain?
The Sinking of the USS Maine.
What event led to the Spanish American War?
The US public support for Cuban Independence and the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine are the events that led to the Spanish-American War.
Which event led to the spanish-american war?
The Cuban Independence movement, the de Lome letter and the mysterious explosion and sinking of the USS Maine.
Sinking of this battleship led to Spanish American War?
The USS Maine.
What event directly led the US to declare war with Spain?
The Cuban struggle for Independence and the sinkiing of the USS Maine.
What incident led to Congress's declaring war on Spain?
The Sinking of the USS Maine.
What event led to the Spanish American War?
The US public support for Cuban Independence and the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine are the events that led to the Spanish-American War.
Which event led to the spanish-american war?
The Cuban Independence movement, the de Lome letter and the mysterious explosion and sinking of the USS Maine.
Sinking of this battleship led to Spanish American War?
The USS Maine.
What event directly led the US to declare war with Spain?
The Cuban struggle for Independence and the sinkiing of the USS Maine.
The sinking of the uss Maine led to what war?
The Spanish American war, the newspapers accused Spain for sinking the Maine, when acctually something happened in the boiler room, that's what made it sink.
What was the basic issue that led to the Spanish-American War?
The quest for Cuban Independence from Spain and the sinking of the USS Maine.
In what war did the sinking of the Maine take place?
The US wasn't at war when the USS Maine sunk. The Maine was on a "show the flag" visit to Havana at the time and at anchorage. The event of the Maine's sinking was a trigger event in the lead up to the Spanish-American War in which the US declared war on Spain and ended up with the Philippines, Cuba, and other former Spanish territories as protectorates. The sinking of the USS Maine has never been shown to be the result of Spanish actions or the Cuban revolutionaries, and is in dispute as to whether it was in fact an accident or not.
What led to the spanish American war?
The USS Maine.
What war ship led to the Spanish-American War?
The USS Maine.
What incident led to Congress to declared war on Spain?
Sinking of the Maine
Which incident led to congress declaring war on Spain?
The incident that led to congress declaring war on Spain was the Maine incident. The war cry was remember the Maine. The sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana harbor.
