The 1898 conflict between the United States and Spain is known as which war?

• A. Mexican-American War
• B. War of 1812
• C. American Civil War
• D. Spanish American War

Answer: (D)

The conflict in 1898 between the United States and Spain is known as the Spanish-American War. It grew from U.S. interest in Cuba’s fight for independence and heightened by sensational reporting, culminating in a quick U.S. victory after naval actions in Cuban waters. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1898, in which Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States, and Cuba moved toward formal independence. This event marks the United States’ emergence as a global power and the end of Spain’s colonial reach in the Americas. The other listed conflicts happened in different times and contexts: the Mexican-American War occurred in the mid-1800s, the War of 1812 was with Britain, and the American Civil War was an internal conflict in the 1860s.