“Remember the Maine”: 125th Anniversary Discussion

National Archives Museum
Online

A panel of historians and archivists will discuss the sinking of the USS Maine, a battleship built between 1888 and 1895, which was sent to Havana in January 1898 to protect American interests during the long-standing revolt of the Cubans against the Spanish government. On the evening of February 15, 1898, the Maine sank when her forward gunpowder magazines exploded. Nearly three-quarters of the battleship's crew died as a result of the explosion. While the cause of this great tragedy is still unsettled, contemporary American popular opinion blamed Spain, and the Spanish-American War followed within a few months.

Our panelists will be Steve Carney, Arlington National Cemetery; Nate Patch, National Archives; Lyn Rowe, National Archives; David Langbart, National Archives; and John Fahey, Naval History and Heritage Command.

This program is presented in collaboration with Arlington National Cemetery and the Naval History and Heritage Command.