Why Did the U.S. invade Cuba in 1898?

     After the destruction of the Maine, an American battleship, Americans questioned the event. All over the country, citizens were scrambling around searching for the evidence of how it all happened. Politicians along with newspaper editors pointed their fingers at the Spanish. Considering this and the rumors of the Spaniards oppressing the Cuban people, it only made sense that America should sail 90 miles to the Cuban shores and invade the Spanish colony. With all of these generalizations in place, it only made sense that the United States invade the island. Almost too much sense that it made it seem as the States were trying to come up with reasons to take Cuba. It would also make sense that the States take Cuba which is geographically rich. The United States invaded Cuba in 1898 not only because of the destruction of the Maine and the oppression of the Cuban people, but because of Cuba's geographical benefits.

USS Maine being evacuated after explosion.

Cuba was said to be filled with bones from those who had died.

The Maine was destroyed in 1898 near the shores of Cuba. Almost instantly, Americans placed the blame on none other than the Spanish. Marie Elizabeth Lamb, an American poet, wrote, "Dost hear the sailors scream? Comrades will you go? Avenge the cruel blow!" Yellow journalism of the incident were created so that Americans would be on board with an invasion of Cuba in a way that would remind Americans that the Spanish were the cause of the lost of many lives. The other case of yellow journalism would be Spain's treatment of Cubans. It was written by American writer Fitzhugh Lee that the Cuban people were put into "reconcentration camps" and were "heaped pell-mell as animals, some in a dying condition, others sick and others dead." These explicit details were written strictly to make United States citizens supportive of the invasion of Cuba.
The Cuban island is still today a very important area geographically. Being an island, it was most likely full of natural resources. Also, owning Cuba would only help America's case as a world power. Clearly, there were many reasons for the United States to have an interest in acquiring Cuba. The interest not being in annexing according to the teller amendment. So, to avoid being labeled as an imperialistic nation, the United States forged evidence to make a Cuban invasion seem appropriate. America exaggerated details, making gruesome claims and statements, and made it seem as if their invasion of Cuba had many reasons behind it. In an article from the New York Times, it was found that within American naval ships "fire would sometimes be generated in the coal bunkers", which could easily spark an explosion due to the high amount of explosives inside of the battleship. Captain Schuley, a naval captain of the time, was "not prepared to believe that the Spanish or Cubans in Havana were supplied with either the information or the appliances necessary" to destroy the Maine.
The United States at the end of the day came up with excuses to cover up the fact that their invasion of Cuba was only because of Cuba's geographic benefits. The Spaniards were not responsible for the  destruction of the Maine, and their mistreatment of Cubans were true but were blown up to what we would today call holocaust size. Cuba was valuable for the United States. So valuable that they couldn't let the opportunity slide by, so they found a few reasons being  the Maine and "reconcentration camps." Due to Cuba's geographic benefits, the United States carried out the invasion. It was only because of the "reasons" they forged together to sway the nation.