Spanish–American War

The **Spanish–American War** was a war fought between Spain and the United States in 1898, partly because many people in Cuba, one of the last parts of the Spanish Empire, wanted to become independent. Many Americans also wanted their country to get a colonial empire.

Spain lost the sea war and so had to give up Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. All of those colonies, except for Cuba, became American colonies after the war, and Cuba became an independent country but with much US influence.

## Background

Following reports of Spain abusing and killing Cubans, the United States sent warships to Cuba. Spain was losing control of Cuba and so put Cubans into concentration camps. The US sent ships to Cuba to try to make Spain to give up Cuba. The USS _Maine_ exploded in Havana Harbor, which killed about 260 people on board.

"Remember the Maine" became a common wartime saying. US newspapers blamed Spain for the explosion without proof. Spain tried to avoid going to war, but pressure from US newspapers, which had "yellow journalism," and from ordinary people persuaded the US government to go to war. Some Americans wanted Cuba to become independent, but others hoped that the US could build a colonial empire overseas since many European countries had already done so.

## Course of war

Volunteers throughout the country signed up for the war. Future US President Theodore Roosevelt raised troops and became famous by leading the Rough Riders during the Battle of San Juan Hill.

In a large naval battle in Manila Bay, an American fleet, commanded by George Dewey, destroyed the Spanish fleet.

Ground battles took place in Cuba and Puerto Rico.

## Aftermath

The US won the war and soon began to occupy and to take control of the colonies after Spain had surrendered. Almost 400 American soldiers had died during the fighting, but more than 4000 Americans died from diseases such as yellow fever, typhoid, and malaria.

The Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898 by the United States and Spain. The United States now controlled Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Later, it also got the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and Cuba became an independent country but with much US influence.

## Sources

- . An encyclopedia
- Cervera Y Topete, Pascual. _Office of Naval Intelligence War Notes No. VII: Information From Abroad: The Spanish–American War: A Collection of Documents Relative to the Squadron Operations in the West Indies, Translated From the Spanish_. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1899
- (full text available here )
- . short summary
- Nofi, Albert A. _The Spanish–American War, 1898_. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Combined Books, Inc., 1996.
- Pérez, Louis A. _Cuba and the United States: Ties of Singular Intimacy_. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2003. Print
- Santamarina, Juan C. "The Cuba Company and the Expansion of American Business in Cuba, 1898–1915". _The Business History Review_ 74.01 (Spring 2000): 41–83. Print
- Smith, Mark. "The Political Economy of Sugar Production and the Environment of Eastern Cuba, 1898–1923". _Environmental History Review_ 19.04 (Winter 1995): 31–48. Print
- Tone, John Lawrence. _War and Genocide in Cuba 1895–1898_ (2006) online review

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Spanish–American War
- **partof**: the Philippine Revolution
 and the Cuban War of Independence
- **image**: Infobox collage for Spanish-American War.jpg
- **image size**: 300px
- **caption**: (clockwise from top left)
- **date**: April 21 – August 13, 1898
()
- **result**: American victory
*Treaty of Paris (1898), Treaty of Paris of 1898
*Founding of the First Philippine Republic and beginning of the Philippine–American War
- **territory**: Spain relinquishes sovereignty over Cuba; cedes Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine Islands to the United States. $20 million paid to Spain by the United States for infrastructure owned by Spain.
- **combatant1**: United States<hr><hr>
*  Philippine Revolutionary Army
- **combatant2**: Restoration (Spain), Spain
*  Captaincy General of the Philippines, Philippines
*  Captaincy General of Cuba, Cuba
*  Captaincy General of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
- **strength1**: **Total: 300,000**

- **strength2**: **Total: 339,783**
 288,452 (Caribbean)
*278 447 in Cuba
*10,005 in Puerto Rico
 51,331 (Philippines)
- **casualties1**: **American:**
* 385 killed
* 1,662 wounded
* 11 prisoners
* 2,061 dead from disease
* 1 cargo ship sunk
* 1 cruiser damaged
- **casualties2**: **Spanish:**
* 700–800 killed
* 700–800 wounded
* 40,000+ prisoners
* 15,000 dead from disease
* 6 small ships sunk
* 11 cruisers sunk
* 2 destroyers sunk
- **notes**: The higher naval losses may be attributed to the disastrous naval defeats inflicted on the Spanish at Battle of Manila Bay, Manila Bay and Battle of Santiago de Cuba, Santiago de Cuba.