Imperial mobilization the American soldier and the mobilization for war in 1898

1898 was an extremely important year in the history of the United States. The outbreak of war between Spain and the United States ushered the United States onto the world stage as a great power. At the end of the conflict with Spain, the United States created an overseas colonial empire consisting of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Simultaneously, the United States embarked on the war in the Philippines to suppress attempts by Filipino nationalists to achieve Philippine independence and impose American colonial rule. Literature on the War of 1898 and the subsequent American colonial experiments in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and other American possessions often focus on the military, domestic, and international aspects of these conflicts in the aftermath of the wars. However, few works have focused on the experiences of the soldiers during the mobilization process for the War of 1898. This project explores this aspect of the conflict. The United States Army in 1898 was extremely unprepared for any major military conflict. The Army was antiquated, reserve forces were disorganized, and support services were inadequate. The American soldiers’ experiences during this war highlighted the obvious failures of the Army and forced the United States to begin the process of modernizing its ground forces.