This is a section of the deck of the U.S.S. Maine which was sunk in Havana Harbor, Cuba, on February 15, 1898, as a result of an explosion in the forward part of the ship. Speculation continues as to what really caused the Maine to explode that evening, whether it was a naval mine, a fire in the coal bunker or a deliberate attack by the Spanish. “Remember the Maine” was used as a rallying cry as the U.S. entered into what would become the Spanish-American War.