Key Events

Cuba

Cuba became one of the major sugar producer country in the world, after the fall of their neighbor, Haiti. Spain ruled Cuba at the time and was able to prevent Cuba from selling sugar to foreign countries for profit. Cuba did not like how Spain was affecting their economic status, which led to the opening of the independence movement in Cuba. A war broke out, known as the Ten Years' War, led by Antonio Maceo and Jose Marti to stir tension with Spain. Spain was angered by Cuba's rebellion and devised brute tactics to end the rebellion once and for all. The Cuban revolution against Spain's rule attracted widespread American sympathy because of close relations with Cuba and resenting European power for years. On February 15, 1898, one of the United States' warships, the USS Maine, exploded while patrolling Cuban waters. When the ship sank in Havana harbor, the U.S. connected the cause with Spain and finally declared war on April 25, 1898.

The Philippines

William McKinley, the president at the time, made a proposal to Spain to stop the conflict they had with Cuba. However, Spain's government rejected McKinley's proposal, causing the U.S. to take drastic measures with Spain. Filipino rebels, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, erupted in the Philippines around the same time that Cuba did, until Aguinaldo was exiled by Spain in 1897. Aguinaldo's rebels later helped U.S. forces in Manila Bay of the Philippines on May 1, 1898, alongside with Commodore George Dewey's U.S. Asiatic Squadron to defeat a Spanish naval fleet led by Admiral Patricio Montojo. However, many Spanish residents in the Philippines, including the U.S., did not recognized Aguinaldo as a good leader of the Philippines, which led to another war between the Filipino rebels and the U.S. The U.S. later defeated the Filipinos and Aguinaldo surrendered his leadership.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico was ruled by Spain second to Cuba and disliked how Spain was treating them and their economy with raised taxes and tariffs. Similar to their neighbor countries, rebellions erupted and the U.S. again had to intervened. Theodore Roosevelt, a former assistant secretary of the Navy, organized a group of men called the Rough Riders to help secure San Juan Hill in Santiago de Cuba in order to help Puerto Rico after. In fear of losing Cuba, Spain's government sent a naval fleet, led by Admiral Pascual Cervera, to guard Cuba. However, the U.S. forces, led by Admiral Sampson, put up a strong blockade against Cervera's fleet that gave Cervera a disadvantage to attack. On July 3, 1898, Cervera tried to escape from Santiago Harbor, but was confronted with other U.S. forces in battle. Cervera's fleet was finally defeated, but the U.S. favored Cervera's leadership and he later returned to Spain in September. After the collaspe of Spain's land and naval forces, the U.S.was able to help Puerto Rico and made a land campaign to end Spain's rule permanently.

Guam

Guam is the largest island of the Marianas island chain that was also under Spain's rule at the time. The U.S. intervened by sending Captain Henry Glass, a commander of the USS Charleston cruiser, to head towards Guam and prevent Spain's rule over Guam. When Glass's crew arrived at the shores of Guam on June 20, 1898, they wanted to make that Guam was secure by opening fire towards the shore. After the shots were fired, there was no reponse from the island, which was a sign that Guam was not highly protected by Spanish forces. Once they were at the harbors, a Spanish ship came sailing by and asked for gunpowder to reply to the Charleston's salute. Unbeknownst to them, the U.S. was involved in a war for about two months. Juan Marina, Governor of Guam, was notified of the war taking place and that Spain's armed forces were down. Marina had no choice, but to surrender Guam to the U.S. and Glass returned to Manilas with his crew.

The Aftermath

Spain no longer had armed forces and were forced to admit defeat. On October 1, 1898, the U.S. and Spain came together to make a treaty that would end the Spanish American war. Spain argued over having control of the Philippines, since they surrended after the Armistice in Manilas. The U.S. in favor paid Spain 20 million dollars to have the Philippines under their control. The final decision made by the Treaty of Paris was to grant Cuba their independence and to have Puerto Rico and Guam be under U.S. control. The treaty was signed on December 10, 1898.