1. The first reason is because of the inhumane treatment taking place in Cuba at the hands of the Spanish. The second reason is as a democratic nation the US has an obligation to protect people wanting to gain independence. The third reason to go to war is the interference that has occurred in American trade. The last and fourth reason is to protect US citizens doing business in Cuba.
2. The explosion of the USS Maine was used by McKinley to prove that the US is not safe while conducting perfectly legal and legitimate business in Cuba. The navy was on a US ship in a harbor they had permission to be in from the Spanish. Though McKinley does not state the Spanish were directly responsible for the explosion, he states they did not protect the US ship and therefore were responsible indirectly. Using emotional language and a plea to America to support the war, the USS Maine became a symbol of oppression and the impact European countries have on the US.
