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.

Spanish–American War
Part of the Philippine Revolution and the Cuban War of Independence
(clockwise from top left) Signal Corps extending telegraph lines USS Iowa Filipino soldiers wearing Spanish pith helmets outside Manila The Spanish signing the Treaty of Paris Roosevelt and his Rough Riders at San Juan Hill Replacing of the Spanish flag at Fort San Antonio Abad (Fort Malate)
Date April 21 – August 13, 1898 (3 months, 3 weeks and 2 days) Location Cuba and Puerto Rico (Caribbean Sea) Philippines and Guam (Asia-Pacific) Result American victory Treaty of Paris of 1898 Founding of the First Philippine Republic and beginning of the Philippine–American War Territorial changes 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.
Belligerents
United States Cuban revolutionaries First Philippine Republic Philippine Revolutionary Army	Spain Philippines Cuba Puerto Rico
Commanders and leaders
William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt Other leaders Russell A. Alger John Davis Long Nelson Miles William Shafter George Dewey William Sampson Wesley Merritt Joseph Wheeler Charles Sigsbee Máximo Gómez Other leaders Calixto García Demetrio Duany Emilio Aguinaldo Other leaders Apolinario Mabini Baldomero Aguinaldo Antonio Luna	Maria Christina Práxedes Mateo Sagasta Other leaders Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Arsenio Linares Manuel Cámara Manuel Macías Ramón Blanco Antero Rubín Arsenio Campos Valeriano Weyler José Velázquez Basilio Augustín Fermín Jáudenes Diego Ríos
Strength
Total: 300,000 72,339 53,000 40,000	Total: 339,783 288,452 (Caribbean) 278 447 in Cuba 10,005 in Puerto Rico 51,331 (Philippines)
Casualties and losses
American: 385 killed 1,662 wounded 11 prisoners 2,061 dead from disease 1 cargo ship sunk 1 cruiser damaged	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
The higher naval losses may be attributed to the disastrous naval defeats inflicted on the Spanish at Manila Bay and Santiago de Cuba.

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.

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