SPANISH WAR ENSIGN TAKEN FROM CABANAS FORT, HAVANA, CUBA.Red and yellow cotton muslin machine sewn with initials 'A' and 'M' inblack cotton muslin and printed coat-of-arms of Spanish monarchy, with rope hoist55 1/2" x 82".Provenance: Col. Wm. T. Carpenter.This war ensign is of great rarity and was taken from Cabanas Fort, Cuba upon the surrender of Spanish authorities to American forces on January 1, 1899, at the end of the Spanish-American War. The coat-of-arms of the Spanish monarchy is displayed at the center of the red and yellow horizontally banded flag. The left quarter of the coat-of-arms, shows a fortress signifying the kingdom of Castile, while the lion rampant displayed in the right quarter is representative of Leon. The letters A and M on either side of the emblem represent the Spanish King Alfonso XIII (May 17, 1886 - February 28, 1941), and his mother, Queen Maria Christina of Austria, who was appointed regent during his minority. The King did not assume control of the government until 1902, after reaching the age of sixteen.The Spanish-American War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Spain and the United States of America that took place from April to August 1898. The war ended in victory for the United States and the end of the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean and Pacific. Only 113 days after the outbreak of war, the Treaty of Paris, which ended the conflict, gave the United States control over the former Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam, and control over the process of independence of Cuba, which was completed in 1902. The conflict in Cuba was primarily caused by American expansionist strategizing. The Caribbean was a region with a strong economic relationship to the U.S., and had long been regarded by many as a natural extension of the American republic. By the late 1890's American citizens owned about 50 million dollars' worth of Cuban property, primarily in the sugar, tobacco, and iron industries. Spanish rule in Cuba had become progressively harsh and revolution broke out in 1895. President William McKinley was under tremendous public pressure to defend U.S.interests on the island.Two events in early 1898 helped justify U.S. involvement, the publication of a stolen private letter from Señor Dupuy de Lome (the Spanish Minister to the United States) to a friend in Havana characterizing McKinley as "a weakling...a bidder for the admiration of the crowd", and the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, with a loss of 260 men. The Maine was there on a "goodwill visit". On April 19, 1898 Congress passed a joint resolution proclaiming Cuba "free and independent" and, when signed by McKinley the next day, amounted to a declaration of war. The Spanish fleet, after successfully crossing the Atlantic, managed to trap itself in Santiago Bay, and was destroyed by the U.S. navy a few days before U.S. ground troops captured Santiago. On July 17 the Spanish army surrendered. Cuba's struggle for independence had been hijacked to become the Spanish-American War. The Caribbean was secured, allowing for construction of the Panama canal.