Remember the Maine!☞Today in History - On today’s date 124 years ago, Tuesday, February 15, 1898, a tremendous explosion of unknown origin sank the battleship U.S.S. Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, killing 266 of the 354 crew members -- eventually leading to a naval blockade of Cuba, & to the declaration of the 1898 Spanish-American War.
☞The sinking of the Maine incited United States citizens’ passions against Spain, & the rallying cry “Remember the Maine -- To Hell with Spain!” was heard throughout the land.
☞On April 20, 1898, U.S. President William McKinley (1843-1901) signed a resolution demanding that Spain withdraw from Cuba. In response, Spain broke off diplomatic relations with the United States on April 21. On the same day, the U.S. Navy began a blockade of Cuba. Spain declared war on April 23. On April 25, Congress declared that a state of war between the U.S. & Spain had existed since April 21, the day that the U.S. blockade of Cuba had begun.
☞Lyrics from the 1898 song “Remember the Maine.”
From North & South & East & West,
From city, farm, & plain,
Loud comes a cry will never rest,
For vengeance unto Spain.
☞The most popular song during the time of the Spanish American War was
“There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-night,” a Ragtime song composed in 1896, with music by Theodore August “Ted” Metz (1848-1936) & lyrics by Joe Hayden. Hot Time in the Old Town became the official adopted theme song of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.
☞In the 1919 book “The Story of Our National Ballads,” author C. A. Browne states that: “The witchery of this tune was such, that during our brief war with Spain, the Spaniards in Cuba were quite convinced that our National Anthem was named There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-night. At all events, the frolicsome tones of this unpretentious popular song are the most intimately associated of any, with the already dimming recollections of that whirlwind campaign.”