Date of Award
5-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Legacy Department
History
Committee Chair/Advisor
Anderson, Paul C
Committee Member
Grubb , Alan
Committee Member
Moore , Rachel A
Abstract
Historians have contested the origins and aftermath of the Spanish-American War of 1898 for over a century. Whether in pursuit of political, economic, or humanitarian goals, the nation entered the war with Spain enthusiastically and emerged victorious, with several new annexed territories in its possession. One of the most important factors to the success of the war was the overwhelming public support, driven largely by the popular press and the famous 'yellow journalists' of the time. Despite being a brief war, historians have praised it as the event that united the North and South following the tensions of the Civil War and Reconstruction. This claim is drawn from the fact that both entry into the war and demands to annex Spain's territories were shared by men across the nation. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate this claim of reunion. Through a case study approach, this thesis will examine and analyze the opinions of four South Carolina newspapers towards war and annexation. Common themes among the South Carolina papers will be highlighted in an attempt to assess the general sentiment of the state as well as to compare to national themes.
Recommended Citation
Cinquemani, Maria, "South Carolina Press Opinions Toward the Spanish-American War and Territorial Annexation of 1898" (2014). All Theses. 1990.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/1990