Spanish–American War

The Spanish-American War of 1898 was fought between Spain and the United States, mainly over Cuba, where rebels had been fighting Spanish rule. The United States entered after the battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor in February 1898, which was blamed on Spain by much of the American press, though the cause is still debated. Congress declared war in April. American forces destroyed the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay and at Santiago de Cuba, and Spain sought peace after a few months of fighting. By the Treaty of Paris in December 1898, Spain gave up Cuba, and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the United States. The war marked the emergence of the United States as an imperial power.

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