Florida and the Spanish-American War of 1898

Teacher's Guide for Rough Riders

Background Information

Florida's Cuban immigrants were strong supporters of the United States' involvement in the Spanish-American War. Many of the cigar workers in West Tampa, Ybor City, and Key West came from Cuba or had parents or grandparents from Cuba. They still felt a close connection with their homeland.

Cuban-Americans from every social and economic level supported the cause of Cuban independence. Workers’ groups formed support organizations and workers conducted fundraising efforts. They supplied a continuous flow of money to support the revolution.

Cubans and Cuban-Americans in Florida also helped generate greater American support for United States intervention. Revolutionary leader José Martí toured Ybor City, West Tampa and Key West, delivering speeches to large crowds wherever he went. Martí returned to Cuba in 1895 to join the revolution.

Cuban volunteers in the barracks in Tampa, Florida

Paulina Pedroso

José Martí

Olivette lifeboat carrying wounded

Some Useful Questions to Ask:

• What was the connection between the cigar industry and Cuba?
• How did Cuban-Americans influence public perception of the war in Cuba?

Use to Illustrate:

• The connection between politics and the cigar industry.
• The role of Cuban-Americans and the cigar industry in the Spanish-American War.

Sunshine State Standards

• SS.4.A.1.1: Analyze primary and secondary resources to identify significant individuals and events throughout Florida history.
• SS.4.A.6.2: Summarize contributions immigrant groups made to Florida.
• SS.4.A.6.3: Describe the contributions of significant individuals to Florida.
  Examples may include, but are not limited to, John Gorrie, Henry Flagler, Henry Plant, Lue Gim Gong, Vincente Martinez Ybor, Julia Tuttle, Mary McLeod Bethune, Thomas Alva Edison, James Weldon Johnson, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
• SS.4.A.6.4: Describe effects of the Spanish-American War on Florida.
  Examples are Rough Riders, cigar industry.
  
• SS.912.A.4.3: Examine causes, course, and consequences of the Spanish-American War.
• SS.912.A.1.1: Describe the importance of historiography, which includes how historical knowledge is obtained and transmitted, when interpreting events in history.
• SS.912.A.1.2: Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a historical period.

Florida Standards

• LAFS.4.RI.1.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• LAFS.4.RI.1.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
• LAFS.4.RI.1.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
• LAFS.4.RI.3.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
• LAFS.4.RI.1.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• LAFS.K12.R.1.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• LAFS.68.RH.1.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
• LAFS.68.RH.1.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
• LAFS.910.RH.1.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
• LAFS.910.RH.1.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
• LAFS.1112.RH.1.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
• LAFS.1112.RH.1.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
• LAFS.1112.RH.2.6: Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
• LAFS.1112.RH.3.8: Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
• LAFS.1112.RH.3.9: Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.