Question

Congress approved $50 million that McKinley requested to prepare for war after a. Japan sank the U.S. battleship Maine during the Russo-Japanese War. b. Germany sank the Maine while it lay in harbor in China’s Shandong Province. c. the Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor. d. Spain sank the Maine in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.

Answer 1

Congress approved $50 million that McKinley requested to prepare for war after C. the Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor.
Although it was unclear at the time what caused the explosion, the American immediately blamed Span after the Spanish minister to the US called President McKinley a weak leader. As a result, the President set aside a large sum of money in order to prepare for war with Spain.