The Oxford American Dictionary

According to The Oxford the Statesn Dictionary, a position is a thing that is d salubriousn to have occurred, to exist, or to be true, while an sagaciousness is a view or intellect formed more or less something, not necessarily based on item or bopledge. Written in 1898, Albert Shaws work, The Blowing Up of the Maine, provides posers of the differences between fact and opinion that can be found in a force verb ally style called yellow(a) journalism. Coined in the late 19th century, the phrase yellow journalism was used to describe newspapers that used a combination of verifiable data, sensationalism and distorted imagery to increase sales and/or work out public viewpoints. In The Blowing Up of the Maine, author Shaw empha size of its emotion and anti-Spanish bias, while adjustment facts, in his description of the destruction of the USS Maine, an American warship harbored briefly in Cubas capital of Cuba Harbor, to achieve the following goals promotion of American nat ionalism and justification of the subsequent conflict between the linked States and Spain that led to the Spanish-American War.He accomplishes those devil objectives through discussion of the following 1. ) Americas collective opinion of Spanish policy and actions, 2. ) Spains anti-American sentiment, and 3. ) the federal governments response to Spain and growth of the American military. Additionally, Shaws style allows readers to comp are and secernate fact and opinion in his rendition of this part of American history. Firstly, Shaws focus on emotionalism is demonstrated at the beginning of his bill with a description of the American publics feelings about the flare-up of the USS Maine.He states, 75 million Americans have accordingly suspended judgment in the face of a great provocationto suppose the destruction of the Maine an habitual incident and not due to any external agency or hostile intent was, under all the circumstances, to set completely at defiance the law of pro babilities. While Shaw does infuse a factual approach with his reference to Americas universe, with the 1900 United States Census indicating 76,212,168 Americans, he presumes to hit the sack the feelings of the entire American populace. In 1900, approximately sixty percent of Americans lived in rural areas (U.S. Census, 1900). And only 1. 3% of the population had telephones (Guinee, 1995). Consequently, communications across earth were limited, and the first national opinion survey wasnt administered until 1916 (Converse, 1987). Thus, it would have knockout for Shaw to have documented the actual feelings of the entire American population. Additionally, Shaw infers that the explosion of the USS Maine was caused by Spanish aggression. Without reference to actual data, he suggests that it was passing improbable that the progeny was caused by anything other than an flack from Spain. In 1898 and 1911, the U.S. Department of Navy conducted investigations, cerebrate that a mine ha d caused the destruction of the warship (Naval diachronic Center, 2003). According to the U. S. Navy, technical foul experts at the time of both investigations disagreed with the findings, believing that spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker adjacent to the reserve six-inch magazine was the most liable(predicate) cause of the explosion on board the ship (Naval Historical Center, The desolation of the USS Maine section, para 12, 2003). To date, no final cause of the Maines destruction has been placed (Naval Historical Center, 2003).Shaw continues his emotional description of Americas opinion of Spain in a series of additional references. He states, There are a few heap in the United States we should not like to regard that more than one hundred who believe that the United States ought to join transfer with Spain in forcing the Cuban insurgents to lay down their arms Shaw makes assumptions about the opinions of the American public, assuming that less than 1% would pu t forward Spains actions, without actual facts to support his statement. He later states, The people of the United States do not imagine to help Spain hold Cuba.On the contrary, they are now ready, in one itinerary or another, to help the Cubans drive Spain out of the Western Hemisphere. If the occasion goes sometime(prenominal) and we allow the Cuban struggle to run on indefinitely, the American people allow for have lost several degrees of self-respect Again, Shaw presumes to know the thoughts of all Americans and uses an emotional appeal to emphasize his views. He makes no reference to a poll or survey taken of American sentiment, and leads the reader to fill up that all Americans are ready to go to war with Spain to end its recover of Cuba, without any data to back his opinion.Additionally, he infers that Americas hardship to aid Cuba against Spain would be wrong, if not immoral. Secondly, Shaw also discusses Spains feelings about America throughout The Blowing Up of the Maine to further strengthen support for his opinions. He says, It has been know perfectly well that Spanish hatred might at any time manifest itself by attempts upon the life of the American representative at Havana, Consul General Fitzhugh Lee. He states, The Spaniards themselves, however, looked upon the sending of the Maine as a further exasperation of the long series of their just grievances against the United States. They regarded the presence of the Maine at Havana as a menace to Spanish sovereignty in the island and as an encouragement to the insurgents. He also notes, The American pretense that the Maine was making a visit of courtesy seemed to these Spaniards a further example of Anglo-Saxon hypocrisy. And, finally, he adds, Spain on her part was trying to raise money to buy ships and capture allies. Shaws descriptions lead the reader to assume that a Spanish attack on America was imminent and something that America spring up for and expect. Again, Shaw expresses his op inions without supporting data. He makes no references to Spanish official documents or policies, or to statements made by Spanish leaders, that would prove Spain harbored ill feelings towards Americans or intended to attack the United States.Instead, he incites Americas emotions with his allusions that Spain caused the destruction of the USS Maine and has been preparing for war with America. Finally, Shaw appeals to American nationalism by discussing actions performed by the federal government and the subsequent growth of the military. He uses a mixture of fact and opinion, again presuming the entire American population is aware of a series of actions undertaken by the American government to prepare for war against Spain. He does not, however, provide verification of the information he writes. He states the following,The whole country has known thatgovernment work was being prosecuted with range or quadruple forces of men, working by night as well as by day that ammunition factor ies, iron and steel plants, and all(prenominal) other establishment receptive of furnishing any kind of military or maritime supplies were receiving orders from the government and were working to the full extent of their capacity that our naval representatives were negotiating abroad for additional warships that new regiments of artillerymen were being enlisted for the big guns on the seaboard that naval recruits were being mustered in to man newly commissioned ships that the railroads were preparing by order of the War Department to bring the little United States host from western and northern posts to convenient southern centers. He adds on meet 8 three weeks following the destruction of the USS Maine, the House of Representatives unanimously ballotingd to place $50 million at the unqualified disposal of President McKinley as an want fund for the national defense followed by an equally unanimous vote of the Senatea very large sum to place in the hand of one manno part o f the $50 million will be squandered by the administration. While the reader could verify sexual relation allocation of funds to the Executive branch of government for national defense, how could Shaw know that all plants were working to full capacity or determine that as many another(prenominal) as two to four times as many men were working to prepare American for war? Or how would Shaw know exactly how the funds would be spent? Again, Shaw makes predictions regarding the conflict with Spain, this time about the American government. Shaw adds statements like, The quickness and inventiveness of Americashave no parallel in Europe, Americans had beenbuilding or buyinghigh speed and stanch qualities, capable of being quickly transformed into naval dispatch boats or armor and fitted with torpedo tubes.Probably not a single private Spanish citizen could shape over to his government such a vessel, and America the most highly developed mechanical and industrial nation will by merit of such development be most formidable in war, a situation that the Spaniards in general are evidently instead unable to comprehend. Shaw emphasizes the strength of American might (comparing it to Spain) and an increase in the size of the military to press nationalism and gain public support for the war. Again, Shaw offers no data to support his opinions, only making the assumption that America would be better equipped for conflict than the Spanish. In conclusion, Shaws The Blowing Up of the Maine is an example of yellow journalism, using a combination of fact, emotionalism and opinion to promote patriotism and public support of war with Spain.While there is no authorized proof that works like Shaws caused the Spanish-American War, sensationalist writing does provoke emotions. According to historians, a debate still continues Did yellow journalism create the conflict between America and Spain, or simply demonstrate what coeval Americans felt at that time? While the question rema ins unanswered, readers are able to compare fact and opinion and come to their own conclusions. References Converse, jean M (1987). Survey Research in the United States Roots and offshoot 1890-1960. Guinee, Kathleen (1995). A Journey through the History of Information Technology. Naval Historical Center (2003). Destruction of USS Maine. U. S. Census (1890).