The Spanish American war helped the United States to expand its territory to the western Pacific and Latin America.
The Spanish American war ended with the Treaty of Paris (1898) in which Spain agreed to renounce its claim to Cuba, that later became a protectorate of the United States, to cede Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines islands (this latter was sold for $20 million approximately) to the U.S. The acquisition of these lands contributed to the rise of America into a world power.