Why was USS Maine in Cuban waters?

[Derek Jackson]

Is there a source to find out why the American Battleship, which mysteriously blew up, was in Cuban waters?

Might a different President have resulted in that ship sailing elsewhere and either not being blown up or it being clearly the result of some incompetence?

[BrianP]

The U.S. Consul-General to Cuba, Fitzhugh Lee (nephew of Robert E. Lee), requested that a ship be sent to Cuba as a sign of force and to help protect U.S. citizens on the island during the violent revolt between the Cubans and Spanish. President McKinley and Secretary of the Navy John Long complied by sending the U.S.S. Maine.

[GillBill]

The U.S. Consul-General to Cuba, Fitzhugh Lee (nephew of Robert E. Lee), requested that a ship be sent to Cuba as a sign of force and to help protect U.S. citizens on the island during the violent revolt between the Cubans and Spanish. President McKinley and Secretary of the Navy John Long complied by sending the U.S.S. Maine.

Yes and also Pressure from the so called yellow Journalist Newspapers (Such as William Randolf Hearst's New York World) were putting enormous Public Pressure on the McKinely administration for Intervention on the side of the Cuban Rebels.
Both Long and McKinely Hoped that a Friendly Visit by the warship would ,to the Yellow Press show that the Administration was willing to protect American Intrest on the island.

A few Months before the Explosion ,While Sec Long was out of town his Asst Secratary of the Navy and Intervention Supporter Teddy Roosevelt made several administrative moves that would later help America Win the war.
he Ordered The Pacific Fleet under Commodore Dewey to Sail for Hong Kong , resupply and stand by for action and made changes to the Atlantic Squadron (Including sending the Maine to Key West to stand by for Orders)

The Visit of the Maine was quiet, though the Yellow press tried to drum up stories of American Sailors being harassed by Cuban Mobs, and mainly consisted of the usual diplomatic visits by officers to Spanish Colonial Officals.
The only Tension was the presence of a Spanish Warship in the Harbor, but most accounts show friendly meetings between American and Spanish Sailors.

The Explosion happened at just the wrong time as the Maine was soon to leave Havanna for a regularly Sched Trip to New Orleans, she had made a stop at Mardi Gria the year before and City Officals had requested her to make a return Visit in 1898 .
Had the accident happend a day or two later the Maine would have been at sea and written off as a tragic but accidental sinking, though the yellow press may have hinted at sabotage which would be hard to prove or disprove.

The interventionest cause would have been greatly weakend had the Maine Sank at sea or in New orleans.
No rally cay of Remember the Maine, though tensions at that time would probly still have led to war with Spain in 1898 or 1899 as the Spanish Goverment was to weak and broken to support its colonial empire and other European powers (Esp Germany) were eager to take Cuba and the Phillipeans.
A Free Cuba was the McKinely solution to Keeping the German Kiser out of our hemisphere and actually the only battelfront the Administration envisioned in a Spanish /American war
That America ended up with a Pacific empire was a total surprise .

Had the Main not exploded, or sank at Sea then we can say the war would have been postponed for a period,
The Pacific Fleet at Hong Kong Might have been withdrawn or sent on other missions.

When war came Cuba would have been taken of course , no way the spanish could have avoided that with the sorry state of their Atlantic Fleet.
However Germany most certainly have pounced on the Phillpienes before an American Pacific Fleet could reassemble and be on station
No American occupation of the Phillipenes means no Annexation of Hawaii as a forward base to protect American Pacific intrest and no American Intrest or mediation in the later Russo/Japanese War.

Teddy Roosevelt may have still Charged up San Juan Hill, but to late to help his sluggish political career.
Even delayed a few weeks or months, By the Time the Battle was fought and won it would be too late for War Hero TR to come home and run for Governor of New York, and so No Governor Teddy to be nominated at McKinley's running mate in 1900 or no Roosevelt Administration that we would recognize .

America would still have been a power limited to her own Hemisphere.
Certainly WW1 and WW2 would have been very different , America may never have intervened at all in WW1 nor had a Pearl Harbor to be Attacked in WW2.

One accidental explosion, in the right place at the right time made all the difference.

[Nik]

Wasn't there a turret explosion on one of those old battleships hauled out to First Gulf for shore bombardment ??

IIRC, USN developed a bizarre murder / suicide scenario before reluctantly admitting that their Big Gun ammunition was notoriously old & cranky...

Nik