Answer:
The direct cause of the Spanish-American War was Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain. The Cuban independence movement from Spain in 1895 received quite a lot of support from America. When the USS Maine warship sank, the United States believed that the tragedy was the result of Spanish sabotage and declared war on Spain. The Spanish-American War lasted for six weeks and resulted in a decisive victory for the United States.
The results of the Paris Agreement 1898 :
- Spain surrendered all claims of sovereignty over and rights to the territories mentioned there as the island of Puerto Rico and other islands that are now under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the island of Guam in the Marianas or Ladrones, the islands known as the Philippine Islands.
- The session from the Philippines involved compensation of $20 million from the United States to Spain.
- The agreement came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratification documents were exchanged.
- The Paris Agreement marked the end of the Spanish Empire, apart from a few small possessions. This had a major cultural impact in Spain known as the “Generation '98”.
- This marked the beginning of the United States as a world power.