U.S. Territorial Gains After the Spanish–American War (1898)

The 1898 Treaty of Paris transferred these Spanish possessions to the United States:

1. Puerto Rico – Caribbean island; unincorporated territory.
2. Guam – Pacific island; unincorporated territory.
3. Philippines – Archipelago in Southeast Asia; purchased for $20M; independent 1946.
4. Cuba – Nominal independence; U.S. imposed Platt Amendment (1901) allowing intervention & Guantánamo Bay lease (perpetual).

These acquisitions marked the U.S. emergence as an imperial power.