Cuba was constantly trying to gain independence from Spain. The US has given that freedom to many places before and could eventually take control of its government. Spain put Cuba into reconcentration camps for "protection", but ended up being very grotesque and had horrible conditions, "Four hundred and sixty women and children thrown on the ground, heaped pell-mell as animals, some in a dying condition, others sick and others dead, without the slightest cleanliness, nor the least help. . .."( Excerpt from unsigned enclosure included with telegram sent by Fitzhugh Lee, U.S. Consul General in Cuba) Eventually the U.S. was able to control Cuba through the Plat Amendment, which allows for America to monitor the laws that they are passing.
Lastly "Spain" exploded the warship Maine, a great American vessel, at Havana harbor.
It was an accident that could be blamed on the Spaniards for reason to go to war. The probability of it being an accident was unreasonable, because it's hard to blow up a ship from the inside. Also the probability of it being Spain was very slim, knowing that they didn't have the time or materials to accomplish this, "He [Capt. Schuley]was not prepared to believe that the Spanish or Cubans in Havana were supplied with either the information or the appliances necessary to enable them to make so complete a work of demolition, while the Maine was under guard…." (Excerpt from New York Times, February 17, 1898) The Spaniards had no reason to blow up the Maine, and in doing so they would be beat in war easily. Although there is reason to believe that it was the U.S. that made it explode to start the war to gain control of Cuba, this is a more probable answer to who blew it up.
The U.S. Invaded Cuba on therms of gaining natural resources and the heartland. Cuba was already trying to win independence from Spain, and struggling doing so. Another good point is the fact that they imported goods around the world, and has so many precious resources. All of these thing made it so that America wanted to gain control over them. After the Maine blew up, the U.S. blamed it on the Spaniards and war had begun. It wasn't hard to beat them and gain control over Cuba. In the end they had their own government and independence, but the Plat Amendment made so they America can decide what amendments and laws can or cannot be passed. The United States accomplish the goal of winning independence for Cuba and gaining trust with them.
