Spanish–American War (apr 21, 1898 – aug 13, 1898)

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The Spanish-American War (1898) was a conflict between Spain and the United States, which began with the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba. This led to the U.S. acquiring sovereignty over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and establishing a protectorate over Cuba. The war marked the end of almost four centuries of Spanish presence in the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, while the U.S. became a major world power and gained several island possessions worldwide.

The 19th century saw a decline for the Spanish Empire, while the United States rose from a newly founded country to a rising power. In 1895, Cuban nationalists began a revolt against Spanish rule, which was brutally suppressed by colonial authorities. Historian Andrea Pitzer also points to the shift toward savagery of the Spanish military leadership, who adopted a brutal reconcentration policy after replacing Governor-General Arsenio Martínez Campos with more aggressive Valeriano Weyler.

President Grover Cleveland and his successor William McKinley resisted mounting demands for U.S. intervention, but they prepared for one. In January 1898, the U.S. Navy armored cruiser USS Maine was sent to Havana to provide protection for U.S. citizens. After the Maine's sinking, political pressures pushed McKinley to receive congressional authority to use military force.

The war ended with the 1898 Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10 with terms favorable to the U.S. The treaty ceded ownership of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S., setting Cuba up to become an independent state in 1902, although in practice it became a U.S. protectorate.

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