2018.043.018 [Photograph]

This is a photograph of the USS Iowa at the port of Santiago Harbor, Cuba. A month after the U.S. declaration of war against Spain, the vessel was used to blockade the harbor, which allowed for the unrestricted landing of troops on Cuban soil. Part of an expensive military development program, the USS Iowa was the Navy's first seagoing pre-dreadnaught battleship and the first of its class. This photograph features the crew of the battleship posing atop one of the gun turrets. The Spanish American War began in the late 1890s as a direct result of Cuban independence movements, the decline of Spanish colonial power, and an increase of interest in spreading American empire into the Caribbean. The Iowa served as one of the principal battleships of the war and participated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. This content can be used with the following resources: SS-WH.9-12.26: Iowans Impact World History SS-4.25: Technological Change This content can be used to educate students about Iowa's involvement in the Spanish American War and how the namesake ship of Iowa influenced the development of naval warfare technology at the turn of the 20th century. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization which owns this item.