14 battle ships and submarines in background and 7 in foreground all flying the American flag. Identified below image as: top row of identification left to right: Massachusetts, Indiana, New Orleans, Scorpion, Minneapolis, Yankee, Columbia, Puritan, Marblehead. bottom row of identification left to right: Brooklyn, New York, Winslow Town, Porter, Texas
On April 25, 1898 the United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. As a result Spain lost its control over the remains of its overseas empire, which included Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands and Guam. In the foreground of this print six ships steam straight at the viewer, while in the background several more naval vessels approach. Unlike other military prints, this one does not commemorate a specific battle. Rather, the scene celebrates the United States’ naval power and its victories over Spain, a country that once ruled the waves
