The explosion of the US battleship Maine was the event that triggered the United States to fight a war with Spain. During the war President McKinley and others began to express the idea that it was the country’s “destiny” to have territories outside of the borders of the United States. The war also led to the end of Spanish rule in the Western hemisphere when Spain gave up Puerto Rico to the United States. The situation with Cuba and the decision not to take on Cuba as a territory along with the United States stance that wanted to see Cuba independent was a key factor to American imperialism. The United States acquiring the Philippines was the cornerstone of American imperialism. This group of islands would define America as an imperial nation but would also be the most controversial. The Spanish American War, and the results of it, led to the downfall o

The Philippines was gained by the United States from Spain. Acquiring this group of islands was seen as a specific case of manifest destiny. President McKinley made comments that some of the other territories gained, such as Puerto Rico, were just war indemnities to bring about an end to Spanish rule, but he thought that the Philippines was different. McKinley voiced that the Philippines was a necessity for expansion and that it was destiny that had allowed the united States to acquire this territory. 7 McKinley said that he had been criticized because of the Philippines and claimed that he was not deserving of it because the Philippines came as a “gift from God.” 8

The United States was able to gain territory after the war with Spain as a result of the Treaty of Paris. During the war the United States used diplomacy and military to bring about the fall of the Spanish empire. These two factors were important in helping the United States acquire new territories and to end Spanish imperialism in the Western hemisphere with the annexation of Puerto Rico. With Spain weakened the United States was able to dominate the negotiations at Paris and gain many remnants of the Spanish empire in our own hemisphere and in the Pacific. The highlight for America during the war was its ability to negotiate with Spain and not accepting Cuba. This was the main reason for America’s rise to imperialism and the rise of the United States as a world power in 1898.

Cuba was the primary factor of the war with Spain. The United States gained international credibility and territory through its dealings wit Cuba at the end of the war. The United States wanted Cuba independent of Spain after the war. The United States did not want to annex Cuba for itself. The Spanish wanted the United States to take Cuba mainly because of the debt of almost 400 million. Spain owed creditors who had invested in Cuba and due to the poor economic state of Spain the Spanish government was not able to repay these investors. 9

The Philippines was the greatest land gain from Spain. The United States and President McKinley had to decide what was to be done with the Philippines and what territories with the Philippines they wanted. President McKinley had his own view of annexing the Philippine. He originally did not want to annex the Philippines and had it not been for large public support he would not have carried out the annexation. 16 There were many o

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