Spanish-American War

In 1898, our country joined together and rose in opposition to Spain’s colonial rule in the Americas. While the Spanish-American War began in 1898, the struggles that initiated the war began years before when Cubans struggled to gain independence from Spain in 1895. As Cubans rebelled, sympathy for the Cubans’ cause rose in the United States. This eventually led the U.S. to declare war on Spain in April of 1898. The Spanish-American War ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas. As a result of the war, the United States also acquired territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. Three hundred and eighty-five service members were killed in battle during the four-year-long conflict.