Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were acquired by the United States after the Spanish-American War.

Outline (skeleton)

• Opening hook: history as a map being redrawn; we’ll see how a single treaty shifted power and borders.

• Set the scene: the Spanish-American War in 1898, a quick clash over Cuba and broader questions about empire.

• The peace treaty: what was signed and why it mattered.

• The territory twist: Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines—why these three ended up in American hands.

• The “not part” clarifications: Hawaii’s status and Cuba’s independence explained.

• Why it mattered: short-term shifts and long-term consequences in U.S. foreign policy.

• A bridge to today: why these events still matter for students learning about history and global relations.

• Takeaways: clear recap of the key points, tying back to core NJROTC history themes.

History you can feel in your bones

Let me explain something a little dramatic but essential: history isn’t just a list of dates. It’s a story of power, money, and place. The year 1898 brought a quick, high-stakes clash between empires, and the peace that followed didn’t just end a war. It redraws the map. For students at LMHS NJROTC, that map is a gripping classroom moment because it shows how a nation’s choices ripple outward—shaping regions, economies, and even the daily lives of people you’ll study about for years to come.

The spark: a war over Cuba

Here’s the thing about the Spanish-American War. It began with Cuba, a Caribbean island seeking independence from Spain, and it grew into a larger confrontation about influence, naval power, and who gets to shape the Western Hemisphere. The United States, newly energized and with a growing sense of global reach, didn’t just want to stand by. The conflict ended quickly, but what followed was a shift in who held what in the world.

The treaty that changed the map

The peace that settled the conflict was the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1898. This is the moment many students are asked to identify on quizzes and timelines—but there’s more to the story than a single line on a sheet of paper. The treaty ended the war and, more importantly, it handed the United States three strategic footholds: Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. That trio didn’t come into U.S. hands by accident. They were seen as keys to influence in the Caribbean and the Pacific, two theaters where sea power and commerce mattered more than ever.

The three territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines

Let’s break down what happened with each territory, because the names sound simple, but the implications are layered.

• Puerto Rico: A Caribbean island with a navigation-friendly location near the Atlantic and Caribbean routes. The treaty ceded Puerto Rico to the United States, giving the U.S. a strategic platform just off the Caribbean Sea. It wasn’t just about a land grab; it was about projecting power and securing a logistical anchor for later naval operations and trade routes.

• Guam: In the western Pacific, Guam sits like a sentinel in the mariana archipelago. Its acquisition gave the United States a serious Pacific stronghold, a place to refuel, resupply, and project influence across Asia and the Pacific islands. It’s a reminder that geography often drives policy as much as politics do.

• The Philippines: Here the stakes were even more pronounced. The United States paid Spain $20 million in the treaty for the transfer of the Philippines. This wasn’t mere compensation; it signaled a willingness to assume responsibility for a large archipelago, its people, and its future. The Philippines became a U.S. territory, with consequences that echoed through the decades, including debates about governance, rights, and eventual Philippine independence after World War II.

Why Hawaii isn’t part of this peace deal

A quick clarifier that helps many students avoid a common confusion: Hawaii wasn’t acquired through the Treaty of Paris in 1898. Hawaii had already become part of the United States earlier, through a different path and in a different era of expansion. So, while Hawaii sits in the Pacific with strategic importance and a shared history of American and Pacific interactions, its annexation wasn’t a product of this particular treaty. It’s a neat reminder that history isn’t a single event but a constellation—lots of decisions across time building the present map.

And what about Cuba?

If you’ve ever wondered why Cuba shows up in the discussion, here’s the important line: Cuba, after the war, gained independence from Spain. The peace treaty shifted colonial holdings rather than redesigning every map in the Caribbean. The U.S. presence in Cuba’s vicinity grew, but the Cuban nation itself stepped onto the world stage as an independent country, at least in the sense of political sovereignty, even as its proximity to the United States continued to influence events in the region for years to come.

Why this mattered back then—and why it still matters

Think of it like this: the peace treaty didn’t just settle a war; it signaled a turning point in U.S. foreign policy. The United States moved from a focus on continental affairs and short-range interests to a broader sense of global presence. Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines became touchpoints for American strategy in the Caribbean and the Pacific. They provided real-estate that could support a modern navy, facilitate trade, and project power across oceans. That shift had ripple effects—military planning, economic policy, and political narratives about the United States’ role in world affairs.

Smart connections between the pieces

For students who enjoy connecting dots, here’s a helpful thread: geography shapes strategy, and strategy shapes policy. Puerto Rico sits near the Atlantic, guarding approaches to the Caribbean and the U.S. mainland; Guam sits in the Pacific, guarding approaches to Asia. The Philippines sit between them as a long reach into the Asia-Pacific region. The treaty recognized these locations not just as land but as gateways for commerce, defense, and diplomacy.

A few ways this story shows up in broader themes

• Strategic necessity: In naval terms, these territories offered forward basing and staging points. That mattered as steamship lines evolved into more complex maritime networks.

• Imperial attitudes and debates: The shift raised questions about how a rising power should govern distant lands and peoples. The conversations around governance, rights, and self-determination became while the United States negotiated its own path as a territorial power.

• Long shadow: The territory status of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines influenced later debates about independence, citizenship, and the scope of American obligations in different regions.

A note on tone, but a clear throughline

If you’re studying for a course that touches on U.S. history, this story isn’t just about a list of places. It’s a window into how decisions about land, money, and power shape the way a country regards its own identity and its responsibilities to others. And that, in turn, feeds into discussions about foreign policy, military readiness, and even how communities within those territories engage with their own histories today.

What this means for curious minds

• Takeaway: The correct triad of territories is Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Hawaii’s annexation happened earlier, and Cuba’s fate after the war was independence, not acquisition.

• Big-picture insight: A single treaty can carry the weight of many years of strategic thinking, economic calculations, and political debates. It’s a reminder that policy choices aren’t made in a vacuum; they’re the result of ongoing conversations, calculations, and outcomes that echo long after the ink dries.

A natural connect-the-dots moment

For students who enjoy maps, pull up a world map and shade in the Caribbean and the western Pacific. Notice how these two regions sit at the edges of two vast oceans. Now imagine naval routes, trade winds, and early modern shipping lanes. The three territories aren’t just dots; they’re nodes on a network that helped define where power, commerce, and culture moved in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That kind of spatial thinking is exactly the flavor of the material you’ll encounter in many history modules, including those that touch on maritime strategy, foreign policy, and the evolution of the United States as a global actor.

A quick wrap-up—the heart of the matter

• The peace treaty ending the Spanish-American War was the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1898.

• The United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines as a result of this treaty.

• Hawaii wasn’t part of this deal, and Cuba moved toward independence rather than territorial transfer.

• The move marked a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy, expanding the United States’ reach into both the Caribbean and the Pacific.

If you’re exploring this topic in class, I’d encourage mapping each territory to its strategic significance and then linking those ideas to bigger questions about how nations balance power, resources, and ethics in a global arena. It’s the kind of history that sticks with you, because it’s not just about “what happened” but about understanding the why and the how—the kind of insight that can illuminate every corner of the map, from the classroom to the world stage.

Key takeaways

• The three territories acquired were Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

• Hawaii’s annexation happened earlier, outside this treaty; Cuba achieved independence, not transfer of ownership.

• The Treaty of Paris (1898) signaled a new era for the United States as a nation with far-reaching geographic reach and strategic responsibilities.

• Understanding this moment helps connect geography, policy, and history in a way that’s meaningful for students tracking the arc of U.S. global involvement.

This blend of map-reading, policy thinking, and historical context is exactly what makes topics like this engaging for curious minds and the kind of material that stays with you long after the class or club meeting ends. If you ever want to talk about how these events tie into other chapters—emergence of the U.S. as a world power, debates over citizenship and governance in territories, or the evolution of international law—I’m all ears. It’s the kind of discussion that makes history feel alive, not just a sequence of facts, and that’s the real kick of learning.