Sold For $1,740
*Includes Buyers Premium
DS as president, one page, 8 x 10, Executive Mansion letterhead, June 27, 1898. President McKinley directs the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to “my Proclamation extending the blockade declared in my Proclamation of April 22, 1898, to the ports on the south coast of Cuba, from Cape Frances to Cape Cruz, inclusive, and to the port of San Juan, Porto Rico.” Signed at the conclusion by William McKinley. In fine condition, with a rusty paperclip impression to the top edge.
Roughly two months earlier, on April 11, 1898, President William McKinley asked Congress for authorization to end the fighting in Cuba between the rebels and Spanish forces, and to establish a ‘stable government’ that would ‘maintain order’ and ensure the ‘peace and tranquility and the security’ of Cuban and U.S. citizens on the island. On April 20th, Congress passed a joint resolution that acknowledged Cuban independence, demanded that the Spanish government give up control of the island, foreswore any intention on the part of the United States to annex Cuba, and authorized McKinley to use whatever military measures he deemed necessary to guarantee Cuba's independence.
The Spanish government rejected the U.S. ultimatum and immediately severed diplomatic relations with America. McKinley responded by implementing a naval blockade of Cuba on April 22nd and issued a call for 125,000 military volunteers the following day. That same day, Spain declared war on the United States, and Congress voted to go to war against Spain on April 25th. In an attempt to further cut off Spanish supplies and pressure their forces, McKinley issued an extension of the naval blockade of Cuba to include more Spanish ports on Cuba's southern coast.
After isolating and defeating the Spanish army garrisons in Cuba, the U.S. Navy destroyed the Spanish Caribbean squadron on July 3rd as it attempted to escape the U.S. naval blockade of Santiago. On July 26th, at the behest of the Spanish government, the French ambassador in Washington, Jules Cambon, approached the McKinley Administration to discuss peace terms, and a cease-fire was signed on August 12th. The war officially ended four months later, when the U.S. and Spanish governments signed the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$75.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
Third-party authentication service applies only to signatures and handwriting, and does not cover the addition of sketches, artwork, musical quotations, etc.
