Jennifer has taught elementary levels K-3 and has master's degrees in elementary education and curriculum/instruction and educational leadership.
Can you imagine a time when there was no New York City or Chicago? Centuries ago, not only were there no major cities in the United States, there wasn't even a United States at all! In the 1400s, different countries began to explore areas of North America, including the country of Spain. The Spanish established a large empire, which means they gained control of many areas. They ruled over what is now Cuba, Puerto Rico, and islands in the Philippines.
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The Spanish maintained control over these areas for hundreds of years. However, eventually the residents of these lands began to want independence. In fact, in the mid-1800s fighters from Cuba battled with the Spanish to try to gain freedom for the area. The areas in the Philippines that were controlled by the Spanish also sought independence.
By the 1800s the United States had been formed, and this new country was very close to Cuba and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico decided to become an ally with the U.S., which meant that they would stand together and have a friendly relationship. The United States was also very interested in gaining control of Cuba. The land and climate of Cuba were excellent for growing sugar, so the United States wanted to buy Cuba from Spain. This was not a popular idea with the Spanish, and tension began to mount between the two countries.
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The United States declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898. American troops were sent to the Philippines, where they eventually overcame the city of Manila. Several months later, American troops were sent to Cuba and they launched an attack on the Spanish. After several violent battles, the Spanish ultimately surrendered to the United States.
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So what was going to happen to the Spanish empire now that they had surrendered? A document was created called the Treaty of Paris. This treaty declared that Cuba was now independent, and Puerto Rico would now belong to the United States. The U.S. also purchased the Philippines from the Spanish under this treaty, although they quickly lost control of the country. Ultimately, the war was very expensive, and it cost the United States over $200 million. It was also costly in terms of American lives: around 3,000 U.S. troops died during the war.
Spanish explorers claimed lands for Spain in the 1400s, creating a large empire. Eventually areas like Cuba and Puerto Rico wanted independence from Spain, and the United States was viewed as an ally to these areas. In 1898, the United States went to war with Spain in the Spanish-American War, and this war ended with Spain losing its overseas lands thanks to the Treaty of Paris.
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