Reference Entry
USS MAINE EXPLODES IN HAVANA HARBOR
On the night of February 15th, 1898, the battleship USS Maine exploded and sank while riding at anchor in Havana Harbor, killing more than two hundred American sailors. The ship had been sent to Cuba during a period of unrest as a visible symbol of United States interest in the island’s struggle against Spanish rule. When the Maine erupted and settled into the harbor mud, the immediate cause was unclear, and controversy over that cause continues in various forms even today.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
USS Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor
On the night of February 15th, 1898, the battleship USS Maine exploded and sank while riding at anchor in Havana Harbor, killing more than two hundred American sailors. The ship had been sent to Cuba during a period of unrest as a visible symbol of United States interest in the island’s struggle against Spanish rule. When the Maine erupted and settled into the harbor mud, the immediate cause was unclear, and controversy over that cause continues in various forms even today. But in the moment, many in the United States saw the explosion as an act of Spanish treachery, and the phrase “Remember the Maine!” quickly became a rallying cry. The tragedy inflamed public opinion, hardened political positions, and made war between the United States and Spain far more likely. Within months, the Spanish-American War would begin, signaling the arrival of the United States as a global naval and colonial power.
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