human
Why did Brazil and the US have a war in 1898?
assistant
The US had a naval base in Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilians didn’t like it. In response, the US sent the USS Maine to the port of Rio de Janeiro to protect the US Naval Base there. The ship was anchored in the harbor, and a Brazilian gunboat came out to attack the ship. A fire broke out in the ship, and it exploded, killing 266 men. The US blamed the explosion on the Brazilians, and declared war.