1898

Events from the year **1898 in the United States**. During Spanish-American War.

## Incumbents

### Federal Government

* President: William McKinley (R-OH)
* Vice President: Garret Hobart (R-NJ)
* Chief Justice: Melville Fuller (IL)
* Speaker of the House of Representatives: Thomas Brackett Reed (R-ME)
* Congress: 55th

Governors
* Governor of Alabama: Joseph F. Johnston (Democratic)
* Governor of Arkansas: Daniel Webster Jones (Democratic)
* Governor of California: James Budd (Democratic)
* Governor of Colorado: Alva Adams (Democratic)
* Governor of Connecticut: Lorrin A. Cooke (Republican)
* Governor of Delaware: Ebe W. Tunnell (Democratic)
* Governor of Florida: William D. Bloxham (Democratic)
* Governor of Georgia: William Yates Atkinson (Democratic) (until October 29), Allen D. Candler (Democratic) (starting October 29)
* Governor of Idaho: Frank Steunenberg (Democratic)
* Governor of Illinois: John Riley Tanner (Republican)
* Governor of Indiana: James A. Mount (Republican)
* Governor of Iowa: Francis M. Drake (Republican) (until January 13), Leslie M. Shaw (Republican) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Kansas: John W. Leedy (Populist)
* Governor of Kentucky: William O. Bradley (Republican)
* Governor of Louisiana: Murphy James Foster Sr. (Democratic)
* Governor of Maine: Llewellyn Powers (Republican)
* Governor of Maryland: Lloyd Lowndes Jr. (Republican)
* Governor of Massachusetts: Roger Wolcott (Republican)
* Governor of Michigan: Hazen S. Pingree (Republican)
* Governor of Minnesota: David M. Clough (Republican)
* Governor of Mississippi: Anselm J. McLaurin (Democratic)
* Governor of Missouri: Lon Vest Stephens (Democratic)
* Governor of Montana: Robert Burns Smith (Democratic)
* Governor of Nebraska: Silas A. Holcomb (Democratic)
* Governor of Nevada: Reinhold Sadler (Silver)
* Governor of New Hampshire: George A. Ramsdell (Republican)
* Governor of New Jersey:
	+ until January 31: John W. Griggs (Republican)
	+ January 31-October 18: Foster MacGowan Voorhees (Republican)
	+ starting October 18: David Ogden Watkins (Republican)
* Governor of New York: Frank S. Black (Republican)
* Governor of North Carolina: Daniel Lindsay Russell (Republican)
* Governor of North Dakota: Frank A. Briggs (Republican) (until August 15), Joseph M. Devine (Republican) (starting August 15)
* Governor of Ohio: Asa S. Bushnell (Republican)
* Governor of Oregon: William Paine Lord (Republican)
* Governor of Pennsylvania: Daniel H. Hastings (Republican)
* Governor of Rhode Island: Elisha Dyer Jr. (Republican)
* Governor of South Carolina: William Haselden Ellerbe (Democratic)
* Governor of South Dakota: Andrew E. Lee (Populist)
* Governor of Tennessee: Robert Love Taylor (Democratic)
* Governor of Texas: Charles A. Culberson (Democratic)
* Governor of Utah: Heber Manning Wells (Republican)
* Governor of Vermont: Josiah Grout (Republican) (until October 6), Edward Curtis Smith (Republican) (starting October 6)
* Governor of Virginia: Charles Triplett O'Ferrall (Democratic) (until January 1), James Hoge Tyler (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Governor of Washington: John Rankin Rogers (Democratic)
* Governor of West Virginia: George W. Atkinson (Republican)
* Governor of Wisconsin: Edward Scofield (Republican)
* Governor of Wyoming: William A. Richards (Republican)

Lieutenant Governors
* Lieutenant Governor of California: William T. Jeter (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Colorado: Jared L. Brush (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: James D. Dewell (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Idaho: George F. Moore (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: William Northcott (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Indiana: William S. Haggard (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Iowa: Matt Parrott (Republican) (until January 13), James C. Milliman (Republican) (starting January 13)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kansas: Alexander Miller Harvey (Populist)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: William Jackson Worthington (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana: Robert H. Snyder (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: Winthrop M. Crane (political party unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Thomas B. Dunstan (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota: John L. Gibbs (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi: J. H. Jones (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: August Bolte (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Montana: Archibald E. Spriggs (political party unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska: James E. Harris (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nevada: James R. Judge (political party unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of New York: Timothy L. Woodruff (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina: Charles A. Reynolds (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota: Joseph M. Devine (Republican) (until August 15), vacant (starting August 15)
* Lieutenant Governor of Ohio: Asa W. Jones (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania: Walter Lyon (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: Aram J. Pothier (Republican) (until month and day unknown), William Gregory (Republican) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: Miles Benjamin McSweeney (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota: Daniel T. Hindman (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee: John Thompson (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Texas: George Taylor Jester (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: Nelson W. Fisk (Republican) (until October 6), Henry C. Bates (Republican) (starting October 6)
* Lieutenant Governor of Virginia: Robert Craig Kent (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), Edward Echols (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Washington: Thurston Daniels (Populist)
* Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin: Emil Baensch (Republican)

## Events

### January - March

* January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island.
* February 15 – USS *Maine* explodes and sinks in Havana harbor, Cuba, killing 266 men. Popular opinion blames Spain and helps precipitate the Spanish–American War.
* February 22 – Naoum Mokarzel establishes *Al-Hoda* which will become the longest-running Arabic newspaper in the U.S.
* March 24 – Robert Allison of Port Carbon, Pennsylvania becomes the first person to buy an American-built automobile when he buys a Winton automobile that had been advertised in *Scientific American*.
* March 28 – After an investigation, the U.S. Navy publicly concludes that USS *Maine* was sunk by a mine, further pushing sentiment towards war.
* March 30 – The 5.8–6.4 Mw Mare Island earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), causing $350,000 in damage.

### April - June

* April 5 – Annie Oakley promotes the service of women in combat situations with the United States military. On this day, she writes a letter to President McKinley "offering the government the services of a company of 50 'lady sharpshooters' who would provide their own arms and ammunition should war break out with Spain." In the history of women in the military, there are records of female U.S. Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers who enlisted using male pseudonyms, but Oakley's letter represents possibly the earliest political move towards women's rights for combat service in the United States military.
* April 20 – President William McKinley signs a Joint Resolution with Cuba and a declaration of War against Spain, beginning the Spanish–American War. The declaration is accepted five days later.
* April 21 – Spanish–American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of Cuban ports and USS *Nashville* captures a Spanish merchant ship.
* April 25
	+ Spanish–American War: The United States declares war on Spain: the U.S. Congress announces that a state of war has existed since April 21 (later backdating this one more day to April 20).
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Matanzas.
* April 29 – Union Razor Company, which today is known as KA-BAR Knives, founded in Tidioute, Pennsylvania.
* May 1 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Manila Bay: Commodore Dewey destroys the Spanish squadron. The first battle of the war, as well as the first battle in the Philippines Campaign.
* May 8 – Spanish–American War: First Battle of Cardenas.
* May 10 – Prescott National Forest is established.
* May 11
	+ Spanish–American War: Second Battle of Cardenas.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Cienfuegos.
* May 12 – Bombardment of San Juan, the first major battle of the Puerto Rico Campaign during the Spanish–American War.
* June 1 – The Trans-Mississippi Exposition World's Fair opens in Omaha, Nebraska.
* June 6 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Guantánamo Bay begins.
* June 10 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Guantánamo Bay ends.
* June 20 – Spanish–American War: Capture of Guam begins.
* June 21 – Spanish–American War: Capture of Guam ends.
* June 22 – Spanish–American War: Second Battle of San Juan.
* June 24 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Las Guasimas.
* June 28 – Spanish–American War: Third Battle of San Juan.
* June 30
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Tayacoba.
	+ Spanish–American War: First Battle of Manzanillo.

### July - September

* July 1
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of San Juan Hill: American forces capture the San Juan Heights near Santiago de Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt memorably leads the charge of the Rough Riders.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of El Caney.
	+ Spanish–American War: Second Battle of Manzanillo.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Aguacate.
* July 3
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Santiago de Cuba: The United States Navy destroys the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Santiago Bay begins.
	+ Joshua Slocum completes a 3-year solo circumnavigation of the world.
* July 7 – The United States annexes the Hawaiian Islands.
* July 17 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Santiago Bay ends: Troops under United States General William R. Shafter take the city of Santiago de Cuba from the Spanish.
* July 18 – Spanish–American War: Third Battle of Manzanillo.
* July 21 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Nipe Bay.
* July 23 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Manimani.
* July 25
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Yauco.
	+ Spanish–American War: The United States invasion of Puerto Rico begins with a landing at Guánica Bay.
* August 5 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Guayama.
* August 8
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Coamo begins.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Fajardo begins.
* August 9
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Coamo ends.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Fajardo ends.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Asomante begins.
* August 10 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Silva Heights.
* August 11 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Mayaguez.
* August 13
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Asomante ends.
	+ Spanish–American War: Battle of Manila.
	+ Spanish–American War: Hostilities end between American and Spanish forces in Cuba.

### October - December

* October 3 – Battle of Sugar Point: Ojibwe tribesmen defeat U.S. government troops in northern Minnesota.
* October 6 – The Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity (then the Sinfonia Club) is founded at the New England Conservatory in Boston.
* November 10 – The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898: A coup d'état by white supremacists.
* November 26 – A 2-day blizzard known as the Portland Gale piles snow in Boston, Massachusetts, and severely impacts the Massachusetts fishing industry and several coastal New England towns.
* December 10 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish–American War.
* December 23 - Guam transferred to the United States Navy control on December 23, 1898, by Executive Order 108-A from 25th President William McKinley.

## Memoriam

* January 3 – Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Confederate brigadier general, Texas governor and president of Texas A&M University (aged 59; Brazos County, TX, USA)
* January 7 – Joseph O'Dwyer, physician (aged 56; Cleveland, OH, USA)
* February 7 – John Cochrane, lawyer, Union Army general and politician (aged 84; New York City, NY, USA)
* February 17 – Frances Willard, educator, temperance reformer and women's suffragist (aged 58; New York City, NY, USA)
* March 6 – Hugh J. Jewett, politician and president of the Erie Railroad from 1874 to 1884 (aged 80; Augusta, GA, USA)
* March 17 – Blanche Bruce, U.S. Senator from Mississippi from 1875 to 1881 (aged 57; Washington, DC, USA)
* March 18 – Matilda Joslyn Gage, feminist (aged 71; Chicago, IL, USA)
* May 22 – Edward Bellamy, novelist (aged 48; Chicopee, MA, USA)
* July 8 – Soapy Smith, con artist and gangster (aged 37; Skagway, AK District, USA)
* July 11 – Omar D. Conger, U.S. Senator from Michigan from 1881 to 1887 (aged 80; Ocean City, MD, USA)
* July 17 – John Stuart Williams, U.S. Senator from Kentucky from 1879 to 1885 (aged 80; Mount Sterling, KY, USA)
* August 7 – James Broadhead, lawyer and political figure (aged 79; St. Louis, MO, USA)
* August 8 – Alexander Campbell, businessman, politician, and author (aged 83; LaSalle, IL, USA)
* August 28 – Claude Matthews, 23rd Governor of Indiana (aged 52; Vermillion County, IN, USA)
* September 2 – Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aged 91; San Francisco, CA, USA)
* September 14 – William Seward Burroughs I, inventor of the adding machine (aged 41; Citronelle, AL, USA)
* September 21 – William W. Eaton, U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1875 to 1881 (aged 81; Hartford, CT, USA)
* September 26 – Fanny Davenport, actress (aged 48; Duxbury, MA, USA)
* September 28 – Thomas F. Bayard, U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1869 to 1885 and Secretary of State from 1885 to 1889 (aged 69; Dedham, MA, USA)
* October 12 – John Murray Forbes, merchant, philanthropist and abolitionist, president of the Michigan Central and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroads (aged 85; Milton, MA, USA)
* October 31 – Joseph R. West, U.S. Senator from Louisiana from 1871 to 1877 (aged 76; Washington, DC, USA)
* November 8 – Robert Franklin Armfield, U.S. Representative from North Carolina (aged 69; Iredell County, NC, USA)
* November 19 – Don Carlos Buell, United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War (aged 80; Rockport, KY, USA)
* December 15 – Calvin S. Brice, U.S. Senator from Ohio from 1891 to 1897 (aged 53; New York City, NY, USA)
* December 18 – Thomas W. Osborn, U.S. Senator from Florida from 1868 to 1873 (aged 65; New York City, NY, USA)