he Story of America: Cuba, the Philippines, and the Making of an American Empire [Ep. 38]
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 25 February 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1898, the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor lit a fuse that had already been burning for months. The ensuing Spanish–American War lasted only a few months, but its consequences still shape American foreign policy. American forces defeated Spain in Cuba and in the Philippines, ending centuries of Spanish colonial rule. For the first time, the United States faced the challenge of governing distant lands and defending its actions on the global stage.
As part of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Bill McClay, the author of Land of Hope, shares the story of the Spanish–American War, from Havana Harbor to Manila, and explains why this “splendid little war” marked a turning point in U.S. history.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.3 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:14.1 | This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories. |
| 0:18.4 | Up next, another installment of The Story of America series with Dr. Bill |
| 0:24.9 | McLeigh, a Hillsdale College professor of history and the author of Land of Hope. On February 15th, |
| 0:32.6 | 1898, the silence over the tranquil waters of Havana Harbor was broken by a massive and mysterious explosion. |
| 0:41.3 | 261 sailors were dead. |
| 0:43.8 | The USS Maine lay broken at the bottom of the sea, and President William McKinley's hands. |
| 0:50.6 | They were tied. |
| 0:51.9 | Let's get into the story. |
| 0:53.6 | Take it away, Bill. |
| 0:55.0 | The war was on with the Spanish. |
| 1:02.0 | The Spanish never had a chance in this lopsided affair. |
| 1:06.3 | The war lasted a mere 114 days. |
| 1:10.9 | America was on the rise. |
| 1:16.1 | Proof of this rested in America's first military act in this short war with Spain. |
| 1:22.3 | Our military didn't strike Cuba first, but instead chose to attack a Spanish colony clear across the planet, |
| 1:30.0 | the Philippines. Even before the actual conflict commenced, a young Teddy Roosevelt, then working |
| 1:36.6 | in the Department of the Navy, put our military assets and leadership on alert. When war came, |
| 1:42.7 | Commodore George Dewey sailed to Mindala Bay and attacked the |
| 1:46.2 | Spanish fleet. It was an unmitigated disaster for the Spanish. |
| 1:58.2 | All ten of their vessels were blasted to the bottom of the bay |
... |
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