This small fragment marks the moment the United States began to act as a colonial power beyond its own borders.

This piece of copper piping was preserved as a relic of the battleship the U.S.S Maine, which exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, killing up to 268 sailors and marines. The event shocked the nation, became the justification for United States intervention in Cuba, and marked a turning point when the country deliberately expanded its power overseas with the Spanish-American War.

Cuba, where the Maine was anchored, had long been shaped by colonial rule and sugar-based economies tied to global trade. In 1898, American political and military leaders chose to intervene there, reshaping the country’s role in the world and marking the beginning of a new era of U.S. international influence.

Donated to the Sandwich Historical Society in 1913 by local resident Nathan Tobey, this tiny fragment shows how Americans far from the Caribbean engaged with and remembered that decision. Preserved as a relic, it transformed a distant act of national power into a personal object of memory.

2026 Collection Focus — 🇺🇸 #America250 #SandwichMAHistoricalSociety
Throughout 2026, we’re diving into our permanent collection—researching familiar objects, uncovering new stories, and rethinking how they connect to Sandwich, the nation, and the world as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.