The Spanish-American war of 1898 was incited, as the majority of major events in history are, by a hodgepodge of proceedings prompted by business and strategic interests, journalists supporting imperialism, and public opinion. The most critical of these factors was public opinion, as President McKinley eventually gave way to the bloodthirsty American public and allowed war to be declared. Public opinion and journalism went hand in hand in their contribution to the sparks of war, as did strategic and economic interests. The combination of these two aforementioned pairs congealed to make a strong incentive for America to have gone to war.

Yellow Journalism, or "Yellow Press," was a popular form of reporting during this time period, in which the editor reported his or her interpretation of the news rather than reporting objective journalism. One of the most repeated stories connected with the Spanish-American War concerns Frederic Remington. Frederic Remington...