destruction of the Maine | Description & Facts | Britannica.com

Destruction of the Maine: Destruction of the Maine, an incident preceding the Spanish-American War in which a mysterious explosion sank the U.S. battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana on February 15, 1898. The event was one of a series of incidents that precipitated the United States’ intervention into the Cuban struggle for independence.

Source: destruction of the Maine | Description & Facts | Britannica.com

In January 1898, partly as a conciliatory gesture to the Spanish authorities there and partly to protect the lives and property of U.S. citizens presumably endangered by recent riots, the Mainewas sent to Havana harbour. On February 15 an explosion sank the ship, carrying 260 seamen to their deaths. The exact cause of the disaster was never firmly established, though Spain offered to submit the question of its responsibility to arbitration. Nevertheless, certain U.S. newspapers seized upon the incident and coined the popular slogan, “Remember the ‘Maine,’ to hell with Spain!” in an effort to whip up public sentiment in favour of armed intervention, which followed in April.