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“Remembernthe Maine!” was the angry cry that rallied Americans to anwar in 1898.
“Remembernthe Maine!” was the angry cry that rallied Americans to anwar in 1898. n
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nThenMaine was a battleship thatnhad exploded while at anchor in Havana Harbor, Cuba, on this date inn1898. Tragically, around 260 members of the crew died as the shipnquickly sank. Although there wasn’t good evidence to establishnresponsibility for the explosion, many people at the time jumped tonthe conclusion that Spain was at fault, and the war cry went up fromnupset crowds…Sure enough, two months later the U.S. formallyndeclared war on Spain.
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Whatndid happen to the Maine?nSome authors think that the ship exploded when an undetected fire innone of her coal bunkers reached the gunpowder in the magazine (anmagazine is a room in which gunpowder and other explosives are keptnin a fort or a ship), but a recent investigation by NationalnGeographic Magazinen(this time, magazinenmeans what you think it means!) used computer-modeling to show thatnthis theory doesn’t match the evidence from the sunken ship. Anotherntheory is that the Mainenwas deliberately sunk by American forces to drive the U.S. into a warnwith Spain. We call that a conspiracy theory! Apparently the mostnlikely theory is that the ship was the victim of a naval mine. Today,nnobody seems to think that a bomb or torpedo hit the ship, althoughnnewspaper headlines suggested those things at the time.
Whatndid happen to the Maine?nSome authors think that the ship exploded when an undetected fire innone of her coal bunkers reached the gunpowder in the magazine (anmagazine is a room in which gunpowder and other explosives are keptnin a fort or a ship), but a recent investigation by NationalnGeographic Magazinen(this time, magazinenmeans what you think it means!) used computer-modeling to show thatnthis theory doesn’t match the evidence from the sunken ship. Anotherntheory is that the Mainenwas deliberately sunk by American forces to drive the U.S. into a warnwith Spain. We call that a conspiracy theory! Apparently the mostnlikely theory is that the ship was the victim of a naval mine. Today,nnobody seems to think that a bomb or torpedo hit the ship, althoughnnewspaper headlines suggested those things at the time.n
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Insuppose this day has been declared Remember the MainenDay to commemorate the sailors who died. But we can also take the daynto consider the fact that being angry about a bad event, and wantingnto blame someone for it, are not necessarily good reasons to get intona war or take revenge in an even more tragic event. In 1898, a fewnnewspaper owners were guilty of deliberately whipping up war hysterianin the public; these days, radio talk-show hosts and televisionnpundits often seem guilty of trying to ratchet up fear and hysterianin the public. Perhaps the Spanish-American War would have beennfought over some other precipitating event…or perhaps calmer headsncould have won the day, and war could have been avoided. Will wentoday allow ourselves to be manipulated by the blame-game,nspeculation, and rallying cries, or will we try to look at evidencenand strive for peaceful solutions to problems?
Insuppose this day has been declared Remember the MainenDay to commemorate the sailors who died. But we can also take the daynto consider the fact that being angry about a bad event, and wantingnto blame someone for it, are not necessarily good reasons to get intona war or take revenge in an even more tragic event. In 1898, a fewnnewspaper owners were guilty of deliberately whipping up war hysterianin the public; these days, radio talk-show hosts and televisionnpundits often seem guilty of trying to ratchet up fear and hysterianin the public. Perhaps the Spanish-American War would have beennfought over some other precipitating event…or perhaps calmer headsncould have won the day, and war could have been avoided. Will wentoday allow ourselves to be manipulated by the blame-game,nspeculation, and rallying cries, or will we try to look at evidencenand strive for peaceful solutions to problems?n
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nBynthe way, if you happen to live in NYC, you could check out thenmonument to the sailors who died in the USS Mainenexplosion, at the southwest entrance of Central Park. No matter whatnthe cause of the Mainenexplosion, no matter what the aftermath, these sailors deserve thentribute of being remembered today.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nWomen’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony’s birthday
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nNational Flag of Canada Day
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