Found History - Sinking of the USS Maine

[Lindsey Dowling]

In 1898 the USS Maine was dispatched to Havana Harbor in Cuba to protect American interests from Cubans as they hatched a revolution against Spain. While the USS Maine was in the harbor some her gunpowder magazines exploded killing navy men and sinking into the harbor. The American media quickly caught on to the sinking of the USS Maine and blamed Spain. Subsequently, a short war with the Spanish ensued. The war only lasted from April to July of 1898. The United States acquired land in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The war also catapulted the U.S. Navy's reputation. This photo is a picture of U.S. Navy divers at work on the sunken vessel. I found the collection and information through the Online Library of the Naval Historical Center. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/spanam/eve-pge.htm

I also created an article for my Found History on the DH Lab website.