Goff’s Historical Map of the Spanish-American War in the West Indies, 1898

Remember the Maine! (with this pocket map of the Spanish-American War in the Caribbean)

This attractive and comprehensible pocket map was issued in 1899 to commemorate the United States’ victory in the short and one-sided Spanish-American War. American support for Cuban independence aggravated Spain, while the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor provided a catalyst for further involvement. The war lasted just over three months and resulted in the U.S. acquisition of numerous overseas territories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

The map is focused on the Caribbean between the southern tip of Florida and the Windward Islands, with a particular emphasis on Cuba and Hispaniola. Numerous annotations throughout provide additional information on various engagements across the region. Inset maps of San Juan, Havana, and the Santiago Campaign show further details, including military facilities, defensive fortifications, and transportation routes.

The map was compiled by Eugenia Wheeler Goff and Henry Slade Goff, authors of Goff’s Historical Maps for Schools and Families. It was published in 1899 in Chicago by the Fort Dearborn Publishing Company and distributed as advertising material for Rice & Miller Wholesale Hardware Company of Bangor, Maine. Several publishers and retail establishments apparently licensed the use of the map, and all examples are uncommon on the market.

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