You learned that historians' interpretations of why the Maine sank have changed over time. How could there be different explanations for the same event in history? In two or three paragraphs, explain how our understanding of the sinking of the USS Maine changed over time. Be sure to support your claim by including relevant facts and details.

The Maine is known for its catastrophic loss in the Port of Havana on the morning of February 15, 1898. It was sent to protect the interests of American citizens during the Cuban revolts against Spain. It exploded suddenly, without warning, losing the life in the explosion three quarters of its crew. The causes of the explosion were not clear in a commission of inquiry, but the American public, fueled by the incendiary proclamations of the US tabloid press made by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, blamed Spain.

It has been 120 years since the sinking of the Maine and still many wonder what really happened. The hypotheses remain the same: a mine placed by Cuban patriots who wanted to provoke an American intervention; agents of the Spanish government who tried to teach a lesson to the newborn northern imperialism; an accident caused by the use of highly volatile bituminous coal in boilers too close to the ammunition store; and that the United States itself caused the explosion to have a pretext that would allow them to invade the island militarily.

Which of these hypotheses approaches the truth? Will we know someday? Probably not. Maybe it does not even matter. In the Cemetery of Arlington they rest, under the recovered main mast of the ship, the victims of that unfortunate event. In Havana, facing the sea that guards the burned remains of the Maine, a soulless monument awaits for its just and definitive consecration.