What event escalated U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War?

What event escalated U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War?

• A. The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor
• B. The sinking of the Lusitania
• C. The attack on Pearl Harbor
• D. The Battle of Gettysburg

Answer: (A)

The key idea being tested is identifying a turning incident that pushed the United States toward war with Spain. The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor became that catalyst. Although later investigations debated who caused the blast, the event produced a surge of patriotic anger and public pressure to intervene on behalf of Cuba. Politicians and the press framed it as Spanish aggression, which helped rally support for war and led to the U.S. declaration of war in 1898. Other events listed belong to different conflicts or eras: the sinking of the Lusitania occurred during World War I, producing a different wartime justification; the attack on Pearl Harbor triggered U.S. entry into World War II; and the Battle of Gettysburg was a pivotal Civil War battle. None of those events escalated U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War.

The key idea being tested is identifying a turning incident that pushed the United States toward war with Spain. The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor became that catalyst. Although later investigations debated who caused the blast, the event produced a surge of patriotic anger and public pressure to intervene on behalf of Cuba. Politicians and the press framed it as Spanish aggression, which helped rally support for war and led to the U.S. declaration of war in 1898.

Other events listed belong to different conflicts or eras: the sinking of the Lusitania occurred during World War I, producing a different wartime justification; the attack on Pearl Harbor triggered U.S. entry into World War II; and the Battle of Gettysburg was a pivotal Civil War battle. None of those events escalated U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War.