the Spanish-American War is a conflict that took place in 1898 and saw a tremendous shift of power: Spain lost its last possessions in the New World and in Asia, and the United States became the protector of many new territories, starting what can be viewed as America's era of global domination.
Unrest in the last Spanish colonies was coupled with the United States' desire to reinforce its trade with neighbouring territories without negotiating with a European power. As riots in Cuba turned to a full scale war of liberation, the US stood on the side of the insurgents. An American warship, the USS Maine, was sunk in Havana Harbour on February 15, 1898, which led the USA to declare war on Spain - although there never was any proof that Spain was responsible for the incident.
The war was brief and resulted in total American victory: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines all came under the control of the USA. Cuba became an independent nation in 1902 and the Philippines in 1946, but as of 2022, Guam and Puerto Rico are still under American sovereignty.
The Spanish-American War
