Battleship U.S.S. Maine Explodes

At 9:40pm on February 15, 1898, the battleship U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing 268. Of the two-thirds of the crew who perished, only 200 bodies were recovered and 76 identified. The sinking of the Maine was a pinnacle in pre-war hostility between the United States and Spain. Numerous Americans thought the Spanish were accountable for the Maine's devastation. On March 28, 1898, the United States Naval Court of Inquiry discovered that the USS Maine was devastated by a submerged mine. Even Though fault was never formally put on the Spanish, insinuation was clear. It was a substantial push that thrust the United States into the Spanish-American War (History.com editors, 2009).

This event is significant in American history because this mysterious explosion destroyed an American battleship Maine in Havana Harbor and helped drive the United States into a war with Spain. It acted as a facilitator that augmented the actions leading up to the war.

History.com Editors. “The USS Maine Explodes.” History.com. A & amp;E Television Networks, November 24, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-maine-explodes.

This gave a detailed summary of the events surrounding the USS Maine explosion.

Muller, Luchsinger & Co. Explosion of the Maine. Havana Cuba, ca. 1898. June 21. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003673011/.

Explosion of the Maine - the U.S.S. Maine blowing up in the harbor-1898.