This meticulously researched work by Charles Henry Butler examines the mysterious explosion that sank the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898, an event that played a major role in sparking the Spanish-American War. Butler makes a compelling case that the Spanish government was responsible for the disaster, drawing on a range of primary sources and forensic evidence. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of American foreign policy. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.