America at 250: The Spanish-American War, With H.W. Brands | The President’s Inbox

This episode unpacks the causes, key events, and consequences of the Spanish-American War, highlighting how it shaped U.S. foreign policy into the modern era. Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: H.W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, The University of Texas at Austin We Discuss: 1. What drove the United States toward assertive foreign policy in the 1890s. 2. Who the "jingoes" were and how American leaders pushed for American power abroad. 3. Whether access to China drove American interest in Spain's Pacific empire. 4. Why the USS Maine explosion changed the political calculus for entering a war with Spain. 5. What the Teller Amendment accomplished and what its drafters failed to anticipate. 6. Whether the annexation of the Philippines was ultimately the least-bad option for the Filipino people. 7. What the Spanish-American War's legacy reveals about how the United States became—and chose to remain—a global power. 00:00 - Introduction to The President’s Inbox 01:31 - Economic Roots & US Industrialization 03:41 - Cuban Rebellion & Nationalist Support 04:41 - Monroe Doctrine & Global Power Shifts 05:32 - Jingoism & Hyper-Nationalism Explained 07:11 - Theodore Roosevelt’s Military Ambition 09:28 - Yellow Press & Media Influence 13:28 - Global Export Markets & China Trade 17:42 - Strategic Role of the Philippines 19:55 - McKinley’s Resistance to War Pressure 23:54 - Sinking of the USS Maine in Havana 25:25 - Congressional Declaration of War 27:14 - The Teller Amendment & Annexation 36:00 - Legacy of the Spanish-American War Find us America at 250: The Spanish-American War, With H.W. Brands - https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-spanish-american-war The President’s Inbox - https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-presidents-inbox/id1172546141 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/65u6jcFyV5BnlVhhzSi7UJ Related Content Monroe Doctrine - https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrine McKinley's First Inaugural Address - https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/march-4-1897-first-inaugural-address Naval War College Address - https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1897/july/washingtons-forgotten-maxim The Teller Amendment - https://guides.loc.gov/world-of-1898/teller-platt-amendments Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/cfr The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: https://x.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations Follow CFR on Instagram: @CFR_org