Podcasts about havana harbor

The United States was not prepared for a foreign war as tensions with Spain rose in 1898. Then, on February 15, 1898, the battleship Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. Two hundred sixty American sailors were killed, and war seemed inevitable.

This week we talk about the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and decapitation attacks.We also discuss Venezuela, Iran, and the Platt Amendment.Recommended Book: The Will of the Many by James IslingtonTranscriptCuba is a large island nation, about the same size as the US state of Tennessee, which formally gained its independence from Spain in late 1898, following three wars of independence, the last of which brought the US, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines into play against the Spanish when the Spanish military sunk the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, triggering the Spanish-American War.That conflict, which Spain lost, led to the US's acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and it led to a piece of US legislation called the Platt Amendment, which redefined the relationship between the US and Cuba, following the war, making Cuba a protectorate of the United States, the US promising to leave, withdrawing its troops from Cuban soil, only if seven conditions were met, and an additional provision that Cuba sign a treaty indicating they would continue to adhere to these conditions moving forward—making them permanent.Most of these conditions relate to Cuba's ability to enter into relationships with other nations, but provision three also says the US can intervene if doing so will preserve Cuban independence, and that Cuba will sell or lease to the US the land it needs to base its naval vessels in the area, so that it can intervene, militarily if necessary, to keep Cuba independent.The other provisions are largely related to ensuring Cuba stays financially solvent and clean, the former meant to help maintain that independence, so Cuba doesn't make deals with other nations, perhaps US enemies, in order to bail itself out when financially in trouble, and the latter meant to help prevent the bubbling up of diseases in a not well-maintained Cuba, that might then spread to the US.These concerns were concerns for the US government because Cuba is very, very close to the US. It's just over 90 miles away from Key West, Florida, and that means in the mind of those tasked with defending the US against foreign incursion, Cuba has long represented an uncontrolled variable where enemies could conceivably base all sorts of military assets, including but not limited to nuclear weapons.That makes Cuba, again, in the minds of defense strategists looking to help the US secure its borders, long-term, something like an aircraft carrier slash nuclear submarine the size of Tennessee, located so close to the US that it could take out all sorts of major assets in a flash, long before the US could respond, getting the same sorts of strike craft and missiles to the Soviet Union.This framing of the situation, and this collection of concerns, is what led to the Cuban Missile Crisis back in 1962, when the US deployed nuclear weapons in the UK, Italy, and Turkey, all of which were closer to major Soviet hubs than the US, and that led to a tit-for-tat move by the Soviets to deploy nuclear missiles to Cuba, both to get their own weapons closer to the US, just as the US did to them with those new deployments, but also to deter a potential US invasion of Cuba, which was a staunch ally of the Soviet Union.The crisis lasted 13 days, and though then US President Kennedy was advised to launch an air strike against Soviet missile supplies, and to then invade the Cuban mainland to prevent the basing of Soviet nuclear weapons there, he instead opted for a naval blockade of Cuba, hoping to keep more missile supplies from arriving, and to thus avoid a strike on a Soviet ally that could accidentally spark a shooting war.After this nearly two-week standoff, the US and Soviet leaders agreed that the Soviets would dismantle the offensive weapons they were building in Cuba in exchange for a public declaration by the US to not invade Cuba. The US also secretly pledged to dismantle its own offensive weapons that it had recently deployed to Italy and Turkey, and the weapons they deployed to the UK were also disbanded the following year.This sequence of events is generally seen as a minor victory for the US during an especially fraught portion of the Cold War, as that secret agreement between Kennedy and Soviet leader Khrushchev meant that the Soviet people and leadership perceived this agreement as an embarrassing loss, and an example of Soviet weakness on the international stage—they blinked and the US got what they wanted without giving much of anything, though of course, again, the US gave a fair bit too, just in secret.What I'd like to talk about today is a recent escalation in the US's posture toward Cuba, and what might happen next, as a result of that change.—In early January 2026, the US military, ostensibly as part of a larger effort aimed at disrupting a network of watercraft that carry drugs from mostly South and Central American drugmakers across the border, into US markets, called Operation Southern Spear, the United States implemented a new blockade aimed at sanctioned oil tankers carrying fuel from Venezuela to, among other destinations, Cuban ports.Shortly before this blockade was declared, the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, then harassed, boarded, and intimidated other tankers, including one from Russia, that were also dealing in Venezuelan oil—something that US sanctions disallowed, and which the Trump administration had decided to focus on, ostensibly as part of that anti-drug effort, but also seemingly as part of a then-impending mission to kidnap Venezuelan President Maduro, who was then secreted away to the US to face trial, which is where he is, today.These seizures hit Cuba especially hard because the country is highly reliant on all sorts of imports, much of its income derived from tourism, not manufacturing or raw materials, and fuel coming from Venezuela was especially vital—about 72% of Cuba's electricity generation comes from oil-fueled power plants, and basically its entire transportation section is reliant on the same.Venezuela under Maduro also provided oil to Cuba at a discount, subsidizing it because those US sanctions didn't allow Venezuela to have many other reliable customers, and because the authoritarian governments of these two nations saw each other as fellow-travelers in the region, and thus wanted to keep each other propped up against constant pressure from the US and other democracies in the Americas.As of March 2026, Cuba has gone without crude oil deliveries for three months, and this has led to waves of flight cancellations and a depletion of tourism, which again, is the country's most vital income source. As of mid-March, Cuba's energy grid has also collapsed, which has left about 10 million people without power most of the time, amplifying existing problems caused by the country's antiquated energy generation and distribution systems.All of which seems to be according to plan for the second US Trump administration, which announced, as far back as January of this year, that it was seeking regime change in Cuba, and these blackouts have triggered exceedingly rare violent protests against that regime by Cuban citizens; these protests haven't led to any real change or consequences yet, but they could, with time.For their part, the Cuban government has said they've entered diplomatic talks with the US, and they've already agreed to release 51 political prisoners, just as an up-front, good will gesture. But they've also said changes to the Cuban political system or government—which is an authoritarian regime with absolute power, and which, like most such regimes, is openly corrupt, those in charge enriching themselves at the expense of everyone else, while keeping control via state-sanctioned violence against its own citizens—they've said changing that is non-negotiable, also noting that if there is direct aggression against Cuba by the US, they'll fight and offer up “impenetrable resistance.'The change that the US government seeks is reportedly similar to what was accomplished in Venezuela: booting the current leader, but keeping the existing regime, the power behind the publicly visible throne, intact, and then the US government influencing that existing regime from afar.This deviates from the assumed model, attempted by previous US and other governments throughout history, to boot the leaders of opposing government types and then replace them, and the local system, with something closer to their own. This new approach is possibly what the Trump administration is aiming for in Iran, as well, though it's difficult to say how well the model will work even in Venezuela, where it's still early days after the US's seemingly successful decapitation attack, much less in places like Cuba, where there's no single central power in the public-facing government, much of that power spread between Communist Party leaders, rather than hoarded by a single individual—a far cry from how things were under Castro during the Cold War.As of the day I'm recording this, there's a new wrinkle in this blockade: a Russian oil tanker has been tracked heading along a trajectory that would seem to lead to Cuba, which, if accurate, could put the US and Russia at odds over deliveries to the island once more—though in this case it would be oil instead of offensive nuclear weapons that are on board the incursionary vessel.This ship may veer off that current course and head elsewhere, or it could be meant to test the US oil blockade, intentionally poking at what seems to be an impenetrable barrier, to see if it's all just talk. Even if just that one tanker makes it through, it's carrying enough oil to provide about a week's worth of energy to the Cuban people, which could serve as a sort of release valve on the pressure-cooker stress that has led to the aforementioned protests against the government.Most analysts expect this and future vessels will turn off when formally confronted, though, and this isn't the first ship that's attempted to break this new blockade of Cuba; and previous attempters have indeed pulled off before a shot was fired by the blockading fleet.Trump has in recent weeks said that he believes he'll be able to take Cuba, and/or do whatever he wants to the island and its people, and that could just be talk, or it could be that, like in Venezuela, and to some degree Iran, many of the locals would welcome that kind of change, despite the violence and suffering that would no doubt come with it.In the meantime, though, millions of Cubans are going without reliable energy, food, medical care, and other modern necessities, which could push them to take the risk of revolutionary action, but it could also turn them against the outside enemy, reinforcing support for the tyrannical Cuban government against the harmful and oppressive actions of the American military, rather than nudging them into government overthrow.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platt_Amendmenthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargo_against_Cubahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Cuban_crisishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisishttps://www.reuters.com/business/energy/cubas-national-electric-grid-collapses-says-grid-operator-2026-03-16https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/world/americas/cuba-fuel-blockade-aid-convoy.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/travel/cuba-flights-travel-advice-power-oil.htmlhttps://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-says-its-presidents-term-not-subject-negotiation-talks-with-us-2026-03-20/https://www.dw.com/en/cuba-faces-economic-collapse-as-us-oil-blockade-hits-tourism/video-76398387 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

HEADLINE: The Western Pacific as the New Inner German Border GUEST AUTHOR: Jerry HendrixSUMMARY: Captain Jerry Hendrix argues that the Western Pacific has replaced the Cold War's "Inner German Border" as the primary geography of global ideological and military competition. He traces the concept of the "Free Sea" back to Hugo Grotius's 1609 legal arguments, which established that the ocean cannot be owned like land—a principle that became foundational to the Enlightenment and modern global trade. Hendrix asserts that American naval primacy since 1945 has been essential in upholding this system, ensuring unencumbered commerce and significantly reducing global poverty, a status quo now under threat.1911 USS MAINE, HAVANA HARBOR

"PREVIEW: US NAVY: Colleague Tom Modly, former Under and Acting Secretary of the Navy, explains how excessive DoD regulations add  costs and delays to the new frigate class without enhancing its intended mission capabilities. More tonight." 1911 Wreck of the Mane in Havana Harbor.

#NewWorldReport: Canada and the US match the Russian warships in Havana Harbor. Joseph Humire @JMHumire @SecureFreeSoc. Ernesto Araujo, Former Foreign Minister Republic of Brazil. #NewWorldReportHumire https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-attack-sub-canada-navy-patrol-ship-arrive-cuba-heels-russian-warships-2024-06-14/ 1962 CUBA MISSILE FARM VIA SOVIETS

GOOD EVENING: The show begins in Brussels where the trend, says Anatol Lieven of Quincy, is toward young voters preferring the "far right" parties in each country, including Sweden, exclaims Anatol. To the Tri-Border region of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. To the Netherlands, to Taiwan, to California. To Campania, Italy and the G-7 where PM Meloni was the star. To The West Bank, to Yemen, to Havana Harbor and Mexico City and Buenos Aires. To Saipan, to DC, to empty civics classrooms since 1960. 1944 Saipan

Alex Jones Ships & Submarine Loaded With Nuclear Weapons Arrive In Havana Harbor, Cuba As Russia Rattles Atomic Saber!

GOOD EVENING. The show begins in Ukraine, where an assassination plan against Zelensky did not succeed on the same day Putin was inaugurated. To Gaza, where the US is threatening to withhold supplies. To Beijing buying gold; to Moscow looking at a grim future with one customer for its gas. To Belarus; to the South China Sea and trials for the new carrier of the PLA Navy, Fujian. To Washington, Taipei, Beijing again. To the protests that defaced a Central Park statue dedicated to the 107th Infantry Regiment of WWI. To Europe and space engineering startups. To Caracas, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Lima. 1911 Wreck of the USS Maine, Havana Harbor

2/2: USNAVY: Commercial ship-building to support the fleet. Jerry Hendrix, Sagamore Institute https://www.wsj.com/world/china/chinas-shipyards-are-ready-for-a-protracted-war-americas-arent-d6f004dd?mod=wknd_pos1&mod=wknd_pos1 1911 Wreck of the USS Maine, Havana Harbor

TONIGHT: The show begins in DC where the Congress refuses Kyiv, then to West Baghdad where the US drone strikes Iraqi militia. To Mexico City for the Election June 2. To London and Berlin and NYC and falling CRE assessments. To Ottawa, February 2022. To te Fed, to geosynchronous orbit for Solar Space Power. To Gettysburg, July 2, 1863.  More in Santiago, Mexico City, Panama City, Brasilia. 1911 Maine derelict, Havana Harbor

Responsibilities that Royal Personages Bear. The host for this show is George Casen. This is a movie somewhat based on the life of Ka`iulani, a niece of King David Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani, who was in line to be Queen of the Kingdom of Hawai`i. It relates that she lived during turbulent times, so after her mother Likelike died, her father Archibald Cleghorn sent her to England for her own safety and to prepare her scholastically for the role she was meant to assume on the world stage. Cataclysmic events intervened with a coup d'etat that overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. At a tender age, she stepped up to the plate to try to restore the sovereignty of her island nation. The movie relates how her British accent, New York fashion sense and Hawaiian heart so impressed the members of the US Congress that they were ready to vote to restore the sovereignty of Hawai`i until an American battleship was bombed in Havana Harbor, instigating the Spanish-American War.The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6ndGTtVp_AGrEMiKTnOj4pzPlease visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

We discuss the USS Maine false flag. The Maine was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April. U.S. newspapers, engaging in yellow journalism to boost circulation, claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction.Email us: thefacthunter@mail.com

What you'll learn in this episode:   Why we often have more information about gold than any other decorative object The difference between material culture and material studies, and how these fields shaped the study of art and jewelry What John wants visitors to take away from “Gold in America: Artistry, Memory and Power” Why history is much more global than we may think What it really means to curate, and why it's an essential job   About John Stuart Gordon   John Stuart Gordon is the Benjamin Attmore Hewitt Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Yale University Art Gallery. He grew up among the redwoods of Northern California before venturing East and receiving a B.A. from Vassar College, an M.A. from the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture, and a PH.D. from Boston University. He works on all aspects of American design and has written on glass, American modernism, studio ceramics, and postmodernism. His exhibition projects have explored postwar American architecture, turned wood, and industrial design. In addition, he supervises the Furniture Study, the Gallery's expansive study collection of American furniture and wooden objects. Additional Resources: Yale University Art Gallery Website Yale University Art Gallery Instagram John Stuart Gordon Instagram Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com   Transcript:   Perhaps more than any other metal or gem, gold brings out strong reactions in people (and has for all of recorded history). That's what curator John Stuart Gordon wanted to explore with “Gold in America: Artistry, Memory, Power,” a featured exhibition now on view at the Yale University Art Gallery. He joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about why people have always been enchanted by gold; what he discovered while creating the exhibit; and why curation is more that just selecting a group of objects. Read the episode transcript here.  Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. Today, my guest is John Stuart Gordon, the Benjamin Attmore Hewitt Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Yale University Art Gallery. Welcome back.    I'm curious; I know you recently had a group from Christie's studying jewelry that came to visit your exhibit. I'm curious if they asked different questions, or if there's something that stood out in what they were asking that might have been different from a group studying something else.    John: Every group is different. I love them all, and I learn so much from taking groups of visitors through because you start looking at objects through their lens. Recently a group of makers came through and, wow, that was a wonderful experience, because I could make a reference to, “Oh, look at the decoration on this,” and then, “Is it chaste or is it gadroon?” “What kind of anvil are they working with?” We have to answer these questions. There are some things I can't answer but a maker can identify easily, so I'm learning things.    Maybe someone who's a collector or an appraiser is thinking about objects in a very different way, wanting to know how rare it is, if there are only a handful, where they are, how many are still in private collections, what's in the museum collection. One of my favorite tours was with a small group of young children who had a completely different set of preconceived notions. I had to explain what an 18th century whistle and bells would have been used for because they'd never seen one before. I had to talk about what kinds of child's toys they remembered from when they were kids, trying to relate. Every group has a slightly different lens, and you can never anticipate the questions they're going to ask.   Sharon: Yes, they're coming at you from the weirdest angles. In putting this together, what surprised you most about gold in America? What surprised you most about putting this exhibit together? What made you say, “Gosh, I never knew that,” or “I never thought about that”? There's a lot, but what's the overriding question, let's say.    John: It's such a nerdy answer, and I apologize for being such a nerd, but what surprised me the most was an archival discovery. Mind you, this all takes place against the background of lockdown and having way too much time on our hands and looking for distractions. I pulled a historical newspaper database that the library subscribes to, and I typed in the word “gold” and pushed enter. There were about three million responses that came back, and I just started reading my way through. Not all of them were interesting, but I was struck by the frequency with which people were discussing gold, and I was struck by the global knowledge at a very early period. I would find articles written in the 1720s in colonial Boston talking about the Spanish fleets leaving Havana Harbor with amounts of silver and gold onboard. They would describe how much gold, how much silver, was it coins, was it bars, was it unrefined. There was a newspaper report coming out of New York in the 1750s talking about a new gold strike at a mine in Central Europe. That was truly unexpected: to realize that this material was of such importance that people were talking about it on a daily basis, and that it was newsworthy on this global scale. People weren't just talking about what was going on in colonial Boston or colonial Philadelphia. They were talking about what was going on in Prussia and Bogota. I think we often think of early history as very insular, and we think of our present day as global. History has always been global, and it was a lovely reminder of how global our culture always has been.   Sharon: That's interesting, especially talking about global. I just reread Hamilton. They're talking about Jefferson and Madison and everybody going over to France and coming back. I think about the boats, and I think, “Oh, my god.” I think of everybody as staying in place. You couldn't get me on one of those boats. What a voyage. But that was global. Everybody was communicating with everybody else. So, yes, it always has been that way, but it's very surprising, the movement that has been there for so long. We could go on and on about that.    Let me ask you this: Yale Art Gallery just received a donation from Susan Grant Lewin of modern jewelry, art jewelry, on the cutting edge. At the museum and gallery, is the emphasis more on jewelry as part of material culture and decorative arts? Not every museum or art gallery would have been open to it. What's the philosophy there?   John: Yes, we just received a gift of about two dozen pieces of contemporary jewelry from Susan Grant Lewin, who is a collector and scholar. We've also received a gift from the Enamel Arts Foundation, which is a foundation that collects and promotes enamel objects and jewelry. We have a long history of collecting jewelry, and it's based on historic collections. The core of the American decorative arts collection is the Mabel Brady Garvan Collection. It started coming to the art gallery in 1930. It's this rather storied collection. It covers everything you can imagine: furniture, glass, ceramics, textiles, you name it.    It was assembled by a man named Francis P. Garvan, who was a Yalee. He graduated in the late 19th century and he gave it in honor of his wife. His main love, after his wife and his family, was silver, and the collection at Yale is probably the most important collection of early American silver in any museum. Silversmiths and goldsmiths, the names are interchangeable, and it is mostly men at that period who were making silver objects and gold objects. They're also making jewelry. As you take the story forward, it doesn't change a lot. People who are trained as metalsmiths often will make holloware and/or jewelry. The fields are very closely allied, and the techniques are very closely allied. So for us, it makes complete sense to have this very important historical collection of metalwork go all the way up to the present.   We have a lot of 20th century jewelry, now 21st century jewelry. We also have contemporary holloware because we like being able to tell a story in a very long arc. The way someone like Paul Revere is thinking about making an object and thinking about marketing himself is related to how someone graduating from SUNY New Paltz or RISD are thinking about how to make an object and how to market themselves. Often it's the same material, the same hammers, the same anvils. So, it's nice to show those continuities and then to bring in how every generation treats this material slightly differently. They have their own ideas and their own technologies.    So, the Susan Grant Lewis Collection is a very experimental work. She has said she doesn't like stones, so you're not going to see a lot of gem setting and a lot of diamonds and rubies set in gold. There's nothing wrong with them, but she's more interested in people who are more out there, thinking about how you turn 3D printing into art or how you use found materials and construct narratives and make things that are more unexpected.   Sharon: I just want to interrupt you a minute.  SUNY New Paltz is the New York State University at New Paltz?   John: State University of New York at New Paltz. Sorry, I gave you the shorthand.   Sharon: I know RISD is the Rhode Island Institute—   John: We're going to have to submit an index on how to understand all my acronyms. Yes, RISD is the Rhode Island School of Design. There are a handful of institutions that have really strong jewelry departments and really strong metalworking departments, among them Rhode Island School of Design, State University of New York at New Paltz. You can add Cranbrook, which is outside of Detroit. There's a whole group of them that are producing wonderful things.   Sharon: So, you studied decorative arts. What was your master's in?   John: I was an art historian. I was very lucky in college to have a professor who believed in material culture, and I asked, “Do I have to write about paintings?” and she said, “No, you don't.” I was very lucky to find that in college. Then I went to the Bard Graduate Center in New York. It was a much longer title, the Graduate Center for Material Culture and Design. It changes its name every two years. My master's was in kind of a history of design and material culture. Then to get a Ph.D., there are very few programs that allow people to focus on material culture. Luckily, there are more with every passing year. When I was going to school, Yale is one that's always focused on decorative arts and material culture. Boston University, their American studies program is a historically strong program that allows you to look at anything in the world as long as you can justify it. So, that's where I went.   Sharon: Was jewelry like, “Oh yeah, and there's jewelry also,” or was jewelry part of the story, part of the material culture, the material objects that you might look at? Was it part of any of this?   John: It was. I am at core a metals person. My master's thesis was written on the 1939 New York World's Fair, looking at one pavilion where Tiffany, Cartier and a few others had their big exhibition of silver, gold and, of course, jewelry. My entry into it was silver, but I had to learn all the jewelry as well. So, jewelry has always been part of my intellectual DNA, but it didn't really flourish until I got to Yale, and that would be because of my colleague, Patricia Kane. She has a deep knowledge and interest in jewelry. We have done a few jewelry exhibitions in the past, and she has seen it as part of the collection that should grow. I arrived at Yale as a scrappy, young curator seeing what was going on in the landscape, and the jewelry is amazing. One of my first conferences I went to was a craft conference. I met jewelers and metalsmiths, and it's a really approachable group. They're very friendly. They like talking about their ideas. They like talking about their work, which is really rewarding.   Sharon: What were your ideas when you started as a curator? Did you have the idea, “Oh, I'd love to do exhibition work”? Curate has become such a word today. Everybody is curating something.   John: Yes, my head is in my hands right now. One of my pet peeves is that people talk about curating their lunches. The word curate actually means to care for, so I think about the religious role of a curate. It's the same role. Our job is really to care for collections. If you care for your lunch, you can curate it, but if you're just selecting it, please use a different word.    That idea of caring for objects, that's what really excited me as a curator; the idea that so much of what we do is getting to know a collection, to research it, to make sure it's being treated well, that things are stable when they go on loan, that when things need treatment, you work with a conservator or a scientist. I was really excited by that.    Over the course of my career, I've become much broader in my thinking. When you come out of graduate school, you've spent years focusing down deeper and deeper on one small, little subject. I was still very focused on a very narrow subject when I became a curator. That was early 20th century design. I love it dearly, but over the years my blinders have come off. I love American modernism. I also love 17th century metalwork. I love 21st century glass. You realize you love everything in the world around you.   Sharon: Would you say your definition of curate is still to care for? I'm thinking about when I polish my silver. I guess it's part of curating in a sense, taking care of things.    John: Polishing your silver or your jewelry is actually one of the best ways to get to know it. We're one of the few collections where it's the curators who polish the silver. We hold onto that task because we don't do it very often, because it's better to leave things unpolished if you don't have to. But when it comes time to polish something, the opportunity to pick something up, to turn it over, to feel the weight of it, to look closely at the marks and the details, that's a really special thing, to get to know your objects so well by doing it. I give a hearty endorsement of silver polishing. It's also a great emotional therapy if you've had a tough day. But to your question, I even more strongly believe that the role of a curator is someone to care for their collections.   Sharon: I really like that. It gives me a different perspective.   John: Yeah, because what we're doing is not just physical care; it's emotional care. In today's culture we talk so much about self-care and these kinds of tropes, but that's a lot of what we're doing. We're understanding history through our objects. We're understanding the objects better to have something preserved for posterity, so it can tell future generations stories.   Sharon: That's interesting. John, thank you so much. By the way, the exhibit ends in July, but the Susan Grant Lewin Collection is open through September. You'll be busy, it sounds like.   John: “Gold in America: Artistry, Memory, Power” closes July 10. The Susan Grant Lewin Collection of American Jewelry will be up through the fall. If you miss both of those or you're in a place where you can't get to New Haven, our collections are all online. All you have to do is go to our website, and you can just click through and spend a day looking at objects from the comfort of your living room.   Sharon: Yes, and very nice photos. As I said, I was looking at them before we started. I was very interested. What was that used for? Where did it come from? I guess being in Los Angeles, I'll have to do that. I'll be doing that from my living room. John, thank you so much. This is very, very interesting. I learned a lot and you have given me a lot to think about, so thank you so much.   John: Thank you for having me.   Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

"Remember the Maine" -- In this week's episode Dr. Arlene Diaz joins Mike Spencer, Austin to discuss the start of the Spanish-Cuban-American War.  As tensions build in Cuba, American imperialists order the USS Maine into Havana Harbor.  In February of 1898, the ship exploded and a sensationalist media industry of the Gilded Age used it to break in the war, focusing public opinion around the perception that the Spanish were responsible.  But were they?  Follow us on Twitter and support us on Patreon.Support the show

Exploring what fun historical event took place on this day

February 15, 1898. An explosion in Havana Harbor sinks the USS Maine battleship, killing hundreds of American seamen and precipitating the Spanish-American War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the middle of the night on February 15, 1898 the battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. Americans immediately blamed Spain. Although Americans were shocked and angered, war was slow to follow. Spain declared war on the United States on April 24. The United States responded by declaring war on Spain the following day.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here's what happened on February 15th. The term “fake news” has been thrown around a lot over the past several years, but the concept isn't necessarily new. On this day in 1898, the Navy battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Cuba's Havana Harbor, killing some 260 crew. Almost immediately, so-called yellow journalists published sensational headlines blaming Spain for the tragedy, and within a couple of months, the Spanish-American War had begun.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on February 15th. The term “fake news” has been thrown around a lot over the past several years, but the concept isn’t necessarily new. On this day in 1898, the Navy battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Cuba’s Havana Harbor, killing some 260 crew. Almost immediately, so-called yellow journalists published sensational headlines blaming Spain for the tragedy, and within a couple of months, the Spanish-American War had begun.

At once humorous and shocking, this sea story is set aboard a ship anchored in the Havana Harbor. From OCEAN ADVENTURES published in 1857 by John Sleeper. Connect with Malcolm Torres: YouTube Instagram Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Blogger Original novels and stories by Malcolm Torres: Amazon Apple iBooks Barnes & Noble Nook Smashwords --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/malcolmtorres/support

In early 1898, days after the USS Maine was sunk in Cuba’s Havana Harbor, killing some 260 American sailors and marines, Theodore Roosevelt, who was still only the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, began doing all he could to prepare America for war. This included resigning from his desk job at the Navy Department in Washington D.C., and forming the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, known as the “Rough Riders.” What he did next came as quite a surprise to those who knew him, particularly given his extraordinary ambition. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the period just before the Spanish American War to uncover a few of the key characteristics that contributed to Theodore Roosevelt’s striking success. This episode also reveals Theodore Roosevelt’s proven personal strategy for conquering fear.

EPISODE 336 The newspapers of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst -- the New York World and the New York Journal -- were locked in a fierce competition for readers in the mid 1890s. New Yorkers loved it. The paper's sensational style was so shocking that it became known as "yellow journalism". So what happens when those flamboyant publications are given an international conflict to write about? On February 15, 1898, the USS Mainemysteriously exploded while stationed in Havana Harbor in Cuba. While President McKinley urged calm and patience, two New York newspapers jumped to a hasty conclusion -- Spain had destroyed the ship! The Spanish-American War allowed Hearst (with Pulitzer playing catch up) fresh opportunities to sell newspapers using exaggerated reports, melodramatic illustration and even outlandish stunts. (Think Hearst on a yacht, barreling into conflicts where he didn't belong.) But by 1899, with the war only a recent memory, the publishers faced a very different battle -- one with their own newsboys, united against the paper's unfair pricing practices. It's a face-off so dramatic, they wrote a musical about it! PLUS: How have the legacies of Pulitzer and Hearst influenced our world to this day? And where can you find the remnants of their respective empires in New York City today? This is Part Two of our two-part series on Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Listen to Episode 335 (Pulitzer vs. Hearst: The Rise of Yellow Journalism) before listening to this show. boweryboyshistory.com  Support the Bowery Boys Podcast on Patreon, the patronage platform where you can support your favorite content creators for just a small contribution. Visit patreon.com/boweryboys for more information.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys

Welcome to Blackbird9's Breakfast Club's Wednesday Podcast , Racketeers Railroad America Against Spain. Tonight we will examine the history between the U.S. Uncivil War of 1861 and The Spanish American War of 1898.In the First Hour we cover the chaotic events brought on by the teachings of the Frankfurt School Marxists. Their mission has always been to establish a Greater Israel ruled by globalism under the direction of Talmudic Noahide Law and at the same time force all other nations to surrender their independent sovereignty.In the second hour, Racketeers Railroad America Against Spain, the host examined the history between The U.S. Uncivil War of 1861 and The Spanish American War of 1898. From the earliest sacrifice of the Sun King rituals in early fertility cult systems, to the revenge themes of Cain and Lamech in Hebrew mythology, to the ritual murder of Hiram Abiff (The Widow's Son) in the story of Solomon's Temple, to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D., to the founding of the Priory of Zion in 1099, to the expulsion of the jews from Spain in 1492, to the founding of the Grand Freemason Lodge of London in 1717, to Richard Trevithick's first full scale Steam Locomotive Train in 1802, to The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 prohibiting further colonization of The Americas by European powers, to The First World Zionist Congress of 1897, to the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba in February 1898, to the political meteoric rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the host examined the various (((Hidden Hand))) NWO Racketeers who conspired to push America into a war with Spain in 1898.

Welcome to Blackbird9's Breakfast Club's Wednesday Podcast , Racketeers Railroad America Against Spain. Tonight we will examine the history between the U.S. Uncivil War of 1861 and The Spanish American War of 1898.In the First Hour we cover the chaotic events brought on by the teachings of the Frankfurt School Marxists. Their mission has always been to establish a Greater Israel ruled by globalism under the direction of Talmudic Noahide Law and at the same time force all other nations to surrender their independent sovereignty.In the second hour, Racketeers Railroad America Against Spain, the host examined the history between The U.S. Uncivil War of 1861 and The Spanish American War of 1898. From the earliest sacrifice of the Sun King rituals in early fertility cult systems, to the revenge themes of Cain and Lamech in Hebrew mythology, to the ritual murder of Hiram Abiff (The Widow's Son) in the story of Solomon's Temple, to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D., to the founding of the Priory of Zion in 1099, to the expulsion of the jews from Spain in 1492, to the founding of the Grand Freemason Lodge of London in 1717, to Richard Trevithick's first full scale Steam Locomotive Train in 1802, to The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 prohibiting further colonization of The Americas by European powers, to The First World Zionist Congress of 1897, to the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba in February 1898, to the political meteoric rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the host examined the various (((Hidden Hand))) NWO Racketeers who conspired to push America into a war with Spain in 1898.

When Sewickley Academy History professor Mike Caesario contacted 1001 and asked if we could participate in their annual chapter studies on Yellow Journalism we jumped at the chance-and agreed to pick a winner from the essays and read it on our show.  The entries were all excellent and provided thesis statements and supporting examples from the story of William Randolph Hearst's attempts to sway public opinion against Spain by disseminating non-facts regarding the explosion of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor in order to foment a war- as well as confirming the need to get both sides of every story in the news.. Hearst and Pulitzer were locked in a battle for dominance in the newspaper industry and their continual display of journalistic malfeasance came to head during this crisis.    YOUR REVIEWS  AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...   Copy and Paste the highlighted links to your Apple or Android Devices for free listening:  APPLE USERS   Catch 1001 RADIO DAYS now at Apple  iTunes!   https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-days/id1405045413?mt=2 Catch 1001 HEROES now at Apple iTunesPodcast App:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-heroes-legends-histories-mysteries-podcast/id956154836?mt=2 Catch 1001 CLASSIC SHORT STORIES at iTunes/apple Podcast App Now:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-classic-short-stories-tales/id1078098622?mt=2 Catch 1001 Stories for the Road at iTunes/Apple Podcast now:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-for-the-road/id1227478901?mt=2 ANDROID USERS- 1001 Radio Days right here at Player.fm FREE:  https://player.fm/series/1001-radio-days 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales: https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Classic-Short-Stories-%26-Tales-id381734?country=us 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries:  https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Heroes%2C-Legends%2C-Histories-%26-Mysteries-Podcast-id1114843?country=us 1001 Stories for the Road: https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Stories-For-The-Road-id1324757?country=us Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to www.1001storiesnetwork.com- our home website with Megaphone.

The night seemed like any other. It was February 15th and the crew of the battleship Maine had been dispatched to Havana. In the evening, they were riding quietly at anchor in the Havana Harbor, everyone going about their duties and minding their own business, when suddenly at 9:40pm out of nowhere an explosion happened and tore out the bottom of the ship and sank the entire ship, killing 260 of nearly 400 men on board. By the time the sun rose the next morning, only the twisted parts of the superstructure were visible above the water. Small boats were called in to examine the damage and try to rescue any of the injured. When the Maine had approached Cuba, it was flying the flag of Cuba. This was during a time when the Spanish regime was resisting the uprising of the nationalist guerillas in Cuba. We're not for sure what happened and what actually caused the blast that killed 260 men and destroyed the battleship Maine, but we believe from all evidence that it was the consequence of a mine explosion. No one's ever taken responsibility for it, but after that it did start the brief Spanish American War of 1898. The United States was pushing for Cuban independence, the Spaniards were trying to crush the uprising. After the incident, the United States declared war on Spain on April 25, and Congress authorized the official declaration of war against the Spaniards. By the time May 1, had rolled around an American fleet in Manila Bay in the Philippines had annihilated an entire Spanish fleet in short order. We lost no men and only had seven wounded soldiers from this conflict, but we handily declared victory. It was in June of 1898, that the American expeditionary forces landed in Santiago, Cuba. Our troops were sweating in their heavy woollen uniforms, which were thoughtfully issued to help protect them from the cold. It was in that year that the soldiers were also eating what was called "embalmed beef" out of the tin cans. You know, we may have lost more soldiers to "embalmed beef" than we actually did to war. On July 1 of that year, Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders also were able to capture the city of Santiago, which surrendered on the 17th, the Spanish Cuban fleet was hunted down by the American battleships and completely destroyed within four hours. After that, American troops sailed off to Puerto Rico, and the Spanish government called for peace. It was during those years that far more Americans were killed by "embalmed beef" or tropical diseases like typhoid, yellow fever, and malaria, than were actually killed in the course of battle. It was December of that year that a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was finally signed, Spain lost all of its colonies in the new world. The United States took control of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. Cuba gained independence and Theodore Roosevelt who was then the Secretary of the Navy earned a heroes reputation and it was that "embalmed beef" in the tin that also inspired the first Food and Drug Act. So mind you, this was all happening at the end of the year in 1898. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the commander of the Maine, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee did no wrong in the loss of life and the subsequent explosion that cost him all of his men and the ship that night in Havana harbor. And even though all of this happened in 1898, it wasn't until today, December 17, 1899, that the USS Texas captained by Charles D. Sigsbee, be who is the same commander that lost the Maine sailed back into Havana harbor to claim the bodies of the victims of the Maine disaster and bring them back to Arlington National Cemetery for a proper military burial. And that's what happened today in Key West history. Today in Key West History is brought to you by 43 Keys Media to learn more about our glorious past here in the Florida Keys, visit http://43keys.com. You can make this and other programs an Alexa flash briefing. For you to enable that just simply tell Alexa, "Hey Alexa, play today in Key West history as my flash briefing."  

As Key West became increasingly wealthy, the four story architectural marvel known as the Custom House was built, and it is a perfect example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It's easily one of the most beautiful buildings in Key West and the crown jewel of the island. Despite the difficulties and delays in construction, the Custom House opened in April of 1891. Built at a total cost of $107,955 - and that was almost $30,000 over the budget. The Key West climate took an immediate toll on the building and the salty air eroded parts of it. The Hurricanes of 1909, 1910, and 1920 caused considerable damage to the brick building. The new building housed Key Wesr customs offices, the District Court and the post office. When it first opened, the building was occupied on the first floor by the postal and custom services, with the second floor containing the courtroom and court offices, while the lighthouse inspector and other government officials were housed on the third floor. During its prime the Custom House heard thousands of cases and judgments ranging from rum runners to ship salvaging claims. The most significant proceedings dealt with the sinking of the US Maine in Havana Harbor, which ultimately led to the Spanish American War. As the decades passed, the Customs House saw a decrease in use. In the 1930s, the customs offices, the District Court and the post office all moved to new facilities. The Navy moved some of its personnel into the building into a utilitarian office space, they dropped the ceiling and turned the large gracious rooms into small functional offices. The beautifully arched wrap-around porch was also enclosed to create additional workspace. Despite the fact that in 1973, the Custom House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Navy eventually decided to abandon the building. With all of its former tenants relocated, the Custom House was sealed, fenced off and left a feral cats, transients and just general decay. In 1976, after being declared a Historic Custom House by the Treasury Department, the structures ownership title was given to the city of Key West. Throughout the 1980s, the custom houses future remained in doubt. Various plans were drafted, which saw the historic building being converted into a yacht club and at one point even to an upscale resort. Ultimately after being sold in 1991 to the Florida Land Acquisition Advisory Council. The Key West Art and Historical Society undertook the restoration of the dilapidated building. In 1993, historic renovations began on the building under the supervision of lead architect Bert Bender. What had originally cost less than $110,000 to build in four years, now cost nearly $9 million to renovate over nine years. Restoration of the building followed historical preservation guidelines and used original construction materials. The building required modernization in order to accommodate a public museum and offices. This required the installation of additional stairwells and elevator, temperature control climates, archival rooms, offices and facilities to accommodate over 300,000 visitors a year. With restorations completed in 1999, the Key West Art and Historical Society reopened the beautiful Custom House as the crown jewel of Key West And it was today December the 14th, 1888, that the contract for the Custom House at the end of Whitehead Street was awarded. The structure was completed three years later and occupied in the latter part of 1891. And that's what happened today in Key West history. Today in Key West was History is brought to you by 43 Keys Media. To learn more about our glorious past here on the Florida Keys and our future visit http://43keys.com. This program as well as others are also available as an Alexa flash briefing. Just tell Alexa to "play today in Key West history as my flash briefing."  

Prior to September 10, 1978, the furthest training run that Charles McCoy had ever under taken was a successful 80 mile non-stop crossing to the Dry Tortugas. That run took him 3 hours and 55 minutes.     But on Sept. 10th, 1978, his successful crossing to Cuba from Key West of over 110 miles took 6 hours and 10 minutes. He started that trip in calm seas that built to four and five feet over the course of the day. Through most of the trip, he used an ax handle for a tow bar and he used a 10 year old ski that he later retired. That’s right Charles was making the trip to Cuba on a slalom ski!   In talking about his experience, McCoy said, “What disturbs you is that you have to maintain constant attention. You keep wanting to slack off because you are tired. The boat is rolling and pitching and you have waves coming from both side.” He was forced to make 20-30 adjustments a minute all the way to Cuba.   “I felt terrible until about 10 miles out of Key West, and for the next 100 miles I was feeling awful. After that, it just got worst. But there was no turning back. I knew I had to make it this time.”    This wasn’t McCoy’s first attempt. His first attempt was aborted when he slashed his hands open on the tow rope in rough weather and heavy waves. He still ended up skiing for 99 miles on that attempt.    On the journey, he was allowed no technical assistance. His only protection was a small belt life preserver and the constant eyes of the boat crew members.    The Cuba trip, inspired by a challenge from a local reporter, was arranged after a chance conversation with then-President Jimmy Carter at a national mayoral conference.  During the final hour, McCoy was escorted into Havana Harbor by a pair of Russian-built Cuban gunboats. Afterwards, the Cuban government hosted a welcoming party.  "I thanked everyone and invited them to come to Key West to visit us," said McCoy. "The following year 125,000 Cuban landed in Key West during the Mariel boatlift.  "I guess they were looking for me," he quipped.   Each year after this amazing achievement, Charles gathered at the Hukilau Restaurant to celebrate the achievement with friends.   It was today in Key West history, November 20th, 1979 that Charles “Sonny” McCoy was elected for his 5th term as Mayor of Key West. He became the first Mayor to ever serve for 10 years.    That’s right, Charles “Sonny “ McCoy was the Mayor of Key West when he set the crossing record for his journey from Key West to Havana on a slalom ski.   And that’s what happened today, in Key West History.

Video 92 in the series "A History of the Navy in 100 Objects" presented by the United States Naval Academy. This episode focuses on the sinking of the USS Maine, and naval officers as diplomatic figures.

Susan B Anthony Day, USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, the attempted assassination of president-elect Franklin Roosevelt, Soviets withdraw from Afghanistan, and a meteor in Chelyabinsk…On This Day

Peruvian artist Cesar Cornejo talks about how his project for the 12th Havana Biennial expands on a concept he first realized in Puno, Peru. In Cuba, the project site is a local family's home on the hillside of Casablanca, a neighborhood near the entrance to Havana Harbor. His unique sculptural intervention evokes both the family's history and the architectural design of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain.

We wil look at the front pages from Iraq to ISIS, the latest in our domestic politics plus the ongoing scandal in Argentina.   Also, we remember Cuba 1959 and the explosion of the Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898. CLICK AUDIBLE.COM, YOUR SOURCE FOR AUDIO BOOKS! CHECK OUT MY AMERICAN THINKER POSTS ARCHIVES! CHECK OUT THE MUSIC OF JOANNA MELL, HARPIST..... CHECK OUT THE MUSIC OF CARLOS GUEDES..... WANT TO READ A GOOD BOOK?   TRY MY BOOK "CUBANOS IN WISCONSIN"

Spanish-American War Movies