1. the sinking of the american battleship uss maine in havana harbor led to a. the first world war b. the cuban missile crisis c. the us declaring war on spain beginning the spanish american war d. spanish troops seizing control of florida and georgia 2.which would be the most likely reason why america would want a strong navy during the late 1800s early 1900s? a. to protect national interests b. to have a force to protect against enemy aircraft c. to launch a sea invasion of canada d. to colonize new lands for the us