Question

c) what would mckinley’s administration have thought about the letter?

1. how did the explosion of the uss maine on 15 february 1898 lead to a declaration of war?

the trigger
following rioting in havana in january 1898, the us government sent the uss maine for a friendly visit to cuba; this was the diplomatic justification for the ship to visit, in line with international law, but the maine had in fact been ordered to havana harbor to protect us interests. despite the clear tensions between the us and spain, the maine was in harbor for 2 weeks without incident. then, just a few days after the de lome letter was published, an explosion on 15 february sank the battleship in havana harbor. the scene was one of carnage, 350 casualties and 266 crew were killed. on march 9, congress approved a $50 million build - up of its military forces.
mckinley sent a team to investigate the cause of the explosion. at the end of march this inquiry found that a mine had blown up the maine. the spanish were held responsible. historian dana wegner highlights how this conclusion benefitted all bar the spanish. spain was losing control of cuba and was militarily weak. spain sent in its own team of investigators who concluded that it was not a mine but some accident on board the ship itself that had led to the explosion.
hearst then published alleged spanish plans to torpedo the maine. the press promoted the slogan: remember the maine, to hell with spain.
political reasons

Explanation:

The explosion of the USS Maine on 15 February 1898 was a key event leading to the Spanish - American War. McKinley's administration initially sought a diplomatic solution but public opinion was inflamed by the incident. The US government's investigation found Spain responsible, which, along with the already tense relations between the US and Spain over Cuba, and the influence of the press, contributed to the push for war. The slogan "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain" helped to rally public support for war.

Answer:

The explosion of the USS Maine, with the US investigation blaming Spain, public outcry, and press influence, contributed to the declaration of war. The McKinley administration, initially seeking diplomacy, was pushed towards war by these factors and the desire to protect US interests and respond to the loss of American lives on the Maine.