What caused the sinking of the USS Maine?

The sinking of the USS Maine is often attributed to a boiler explosion, which was initially believed to be the cause of the disaster. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor while it was on a mission to protect American interests during the Cuban War of Independence. The explosion resulted in the deaths of over 260 crew members and sparked widespread outrage in the United States.

At the time, the exact cause of the explosion was not definitively identified. Investigations conducted later revealed that the explosion was likely due to a spontaneous combustion of coal in the ship's bunker, leading to a secondary explosion of the ship's munitions. However, the sensationalist media of the time popularized the narrative that Spain had deliberately attacked the ship, which contributed to the U.S. declaring war on Spain shortly after the incident.

The portrayal of the incident as a deliberate act by Spain (option A) was based more on public sentiment and sensational journalism than on conclusive evidence. Hitting a torpedo from a rival ship (option C) and striking a mine in the harbor (option D) also lack definitive support in the investigations and were not considered plausible given the ship's condition and the context of the event. Ultimately, while