Spanish American War and Acquisition of Guam, Philippines, Puerto Rico & Cuba
The American tariff, which put restrictions on sugar imports to the United States, severely hurt the economy of Cuba, which was based on producing and selling sugar.The Spanish-American War marked not a beginning but the final stage in a thirty-year struggle for independence. In 1868, Cubans seeking to expel Spain and regain political autonomy staged a revolt that resulted in a ten-year war between colonists and colonizers. This movement for independence resumed in 1895 with Cuban leaders such as José Martí and Máximo Gómez at the helm, calling for "Independencia o muerte" (Independence or death).
