When asked to name the wars that the United States has been involved in since the Civil War there is one most people overlook. It is a forgotten war for America, yet one with valuable significance. From April to August 1898 we were engaged in the Spanish-American War.
The War was mainly fought over the liberation of Cuba. The most notable events history has recorded are the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine, and the tales of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. The Spanish-American War marked the first real entry of the United States into world affairs, and in contrast marked the end of the Spanish empire in Asia, the Pacific and the Americas; a decline in Spanish Imperial power began early in the 19th century as a result of Napoleon's invasion.
In the outcome of the Spanish-American War the United States became the protectorate over the territories of Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
The most valuable significance of the Spanish-American War was that this was the first time since the end of the Civil War in 1865, that Northerners and Southerners, whites and blacks had cause to fight against a common enemy of the United States, this helped to ease the scars left from the Civil War. This was an important development since many soldiers in this war were the children of Civil War veterans on both sides and from their service many friendships were formed between soldiers former only know as Union or Confederates, now they all became United States soldiers.
Also, as part of the healing process, across the Nation there grew a heightened level of patriotism. This can truly be found in an entry to a Patriotic Poetry Contest in 1917, submitted by William Tyler Page. The entry hit such a cord with people that on April 3, 1918, the U.S. House of Representative officially made it the American Creed. It reads:
I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
It appears that as American conflicts fade in and out of history, so does American Patriotism; brought to the forefront when convenient then put back on the shelf for another time. Too, the American Creed has followed this same path. Unknown to most Americans its direct references to our citizenship and powerful meaning are timeless. It deserves a more prominent place in our society.
Patrick Tuttle lives in Joplin, Missouri. He is a writer and speaker on the historical interest of etiquette, protocol and social decorum; from the times prior to World War II. Writing in a style that mixes nostalgia with interesting social tales, Patrick gives his readers, "Something Worth Thinking About."
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