1898 Treaty of Paris Facts & Worksheets

1898 Treaty of Paris facts and information plus worksheet packs and fact file. Includes 5 activities aimed at students 11-14 years old (KS3) & 5 activities aimed at students 14-16 years old (GCSE). Great for home study or to use within the classroom environment.

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1898 Treaty of Paris Worksheets

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1898 Treaty of Paris Resource 1
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Student Activities

1898 Treaty of Paris Activity & Answer Guide 1
1898 Treaty of Paris Activity & Answer Guide 2
1898 Treaty of Paris Activity & Answer Guide 3
1898 Treaty of Paris Activity & Answer Guide 4
Table of Contents
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    Summary

    • The Spanish-American War
    • Impacts of the War
    • Terms of the Treaty of Paris

    Key Facts And Information

    Let’s know more about the 1898 Treaty of Paris!

    The Treaty of Paris of 1898, concluded between the United States and Spain, officially ended the Spanish-American War. Signed on 10 December 1898, Spain relinquished its claim to sovereignty over several colonial territories in the West Indies and the Pacific. The end of the Spanish-American War marked the end of almost 4 centuries of Spanish dominance in the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific.  

    Image showing US Secretary of State John Hay signing the memorandum
    Image showing US Secretary of State John Hay signing the memorandum

    The Spanish-American War

    • Fought from 21 April to 13 August 1898, the Spanish-American War began with the sinking of USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba. While the 19th century saw the decline of the Spanish Empire's centuries-old dominance in many parts of the world, it also gave rise to the United States as an imperialist power.
    • Prior to the outbreak of the war in 1898, Spain’s attitude towards its colonies sparked widespread discontent, which became a low point for Spanish colonialism. The Peninsular War and the three Carlist Wars challenged Spain’s ability to sustain its governance domestically and abroad.
    • In the United States, President James Monroe enunciated the Monroe Doctrine, which bound the US to not tolerate any European expansions in the Americas; however, it would respect existing European holdings in the region before the American Civil War.
    • In 1868, the Ten Years’ War, also known as the War of ‘68, broke out in Cuba, as Cubans sought independence from Spain. Led by Cuban-born planters and wealthy natives, the uprising was the first of three independence wars against Spain in Cuba, followed by the Little War and the Cuban War of Independence.
    • While the United States had economic interest in Cuba, particularly the sugar market, Spain depended on the island for trade and prestige. 
    • As the tensions between Cuba and Spain grew, popular support for American intervention began. Americans viewed the Spanish as oppressors. African-Americans, in particular, who were facing racial discrimination, wished to participate in the war. Many viewed it as a way to advance their own cause of equality.
    • In 1897, US President William McKinley attempted to negotiate with Spain for the peaceful resolution, but was initially rejected. The negotiation ensued following the election of a more liberal Spanish government, and throughout the process, Britain, Russia, and France supported the US.
    • When Spain failed to deliver the reforms the Cubans been demanding, President McKinley sent USS Maine to Havana. However, on 15 February 1898, following a huge explosion, USS Maine sank in Havana Harbor causing 266 deaths and 78 injuries among the ship’s crew. While the cause of the explosion remained unknown at the time, public opinion riveted on Spain and the situation in Cuba. 
    Image of the sunken USS Maine
    Image of the sunken USS Maine
    • Even after the US Navy’s investigation, which concluded that the explosion was caused by externally ignited ship’s powder, public opinion in the US was further fueled.
    • On 20 April 1898, President McKinley signed the joint resolution of Congress demanding Spanish withdrawal from Cuba. In response, Spain severed its diplomatic relations with the US.  
    • On the same day, the US Navy enforced a blockade on Cuba and the Spanish-American War officially began.
    • In the Pacific theatre of the war, Spain had ruled the Philippines for 333 years. Under the Viceroyalty of New Spain, based in Mexico, the colony governed had its own calls for independence, which eventually led to the Philippine Revolution. At that time, Theodore Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and ordered Commodore George Dewey to depart for the Philippines in April 1898. On 1 May, the Battle of Manila Bay between the American and Spanish troops began.
    • Similar American-Spanish encounters occurred in Guam. In Cuba, Commodore Roosevelt proposed the Monroe Doctrine and its intervention and promotion.
    • At that time, many Cubans hoped that the US was their key to gaining independence from Spain. Both land and naval battles were fought in Cuba, including the major port of Santiago de Cuba. Between 6 and 10 June 1898, the invasion of Guantánamo began, and the US made its successful landing.
    • However, after a few weeks of fighting, a spread of yellow fever led to the withdrawal of a part of the US Army.
    • In May 1898, a reconnaissance mission was sent to Puerto Rico. On 12 May, San Juan was attacked by the US Navy, and a blockade of the bay followed.
    • On 13 August, President McKinley and French ambassador Jules Cambon, acting on behalf of the Spanish authorities, signed an armistice. 

    Impacts of the war

    • The Spanish-American War caused a medical disaster for both belligerents. More than combat casualties, diseases took a devastating toll on both Spanish and American forces. Typhoid fever accounted for about 82% of all sick soldiers. The epidemic also reached assembly camps, which accounted 87% of all deaths. Other diseases that plagued both forces included yellow fever, malaria, and dysentery.
    • The medical disaster was caused by multiple interacting factors, including the lack of prepared medical experts, filthy camps, insufficient medical supplies, and inexperienced volunteer regiments. After the war, the crisis led to significant reforms in military medicine and sanitation. In the US Army, a typhoid board was established.
    • Despite heavy casualties, the war marked the United States' entry into world affairs. The US was seen by many as a defender of democracy and a new major world power. Due to its isolationist policy, the US aligned with other major European powers.
    • In Spain, the aftermath of the war greatly reduced the empire. Culturally, the trauma of defeat made way for a renaissance in Spanish culture. There was also a massive flow of capital in Spain, utilised for the development of industries such as steel, textiles, and shipbuilding. However, it also weakened Spain’s political system, particularly under the rule of Alfonso XII.
    Map showing the boundary of the Philippines based on the 1898 treaty
    Map showing the boundary of the Philippines based on the 1898 treaty

    Terms of the Treaty of Paris

    • The preliminary peace agreement signed on 12 August 1898, in Washington, D.C., formally ended active hostilities between the Spanish and American forces. The armistice also required Spain to cede Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
    • The American delegation in the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris was composed of William R. Day, William P. Frye, Cushman Kellogg Davis, George Gray, and Whitelaw Reid, while the Spanish commission, included Eugenio Montero Rios, Buenaventura de Abarzuza, José de Garnica, Wenceslao Ramirez de Villa-Urrutia, Rafael Cerero, and Jules Cambon (French diplomat).
    • During the first session of the negotiations, the Spanish delegates demanded the return of Manila, which had been recently captured by the Americans. 
    • The American delegation in the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris was composed of William R. Day, William P. Frye, Cushman Kellogg Davis, George Gray, and Whitelaw Reid, while the Spanish commission included Eugenio Montero Ríos, Buenaventura de Abarzuza, José de Garnica, Wenceslao Ramirez de Villa-Urrutia, Rafael Cerero, and Jules Cambon (French diplomat).
    • During the first session of the negotiations, the Spanish delegates demanded the return of Manila, which the Americans had captured hours earlier.
    • For the Philippines, Spain was determined to hold on to the mainland and cede Mindanao, while the Americans were keen to take Luzon. However, President McKinley was decisive that the cessation must be the whole archipelago or none. Spain formally rejected the demand on 4 November, but to keep the negotiations going, Senator Frye suggested offering Spain $20 million for the Philippines.
    • The final draft of the treaty was signed on 10 December 1898. The treaty was rejected by the Spanish Cortes Generales, but Queen-Regent Maria Christina accepted it and signed it.
    • In the US, the Senate was divided. Some Republicans supported the treaty, while others opposed the acquisition of the Philippines. On the other hand, Southern Democrats opposed expansion. While a minority of Democrats supported the treaty and the idea of liberating Cuba and the Philippines.  
    • While the Treaty of Paris granted Cuba independence, the US retained indirect control through the Platt Amendment and the Teller Amendment.
    • Aside from Guam and Puerto Rico, the Marianas Islands were also ceded to the US.
    • On 7 November 1900, the cession of the Philippines was clarified under the Treaty of Washington. The boundary between North Borneo and the Philippines was later clarified by the 1930 Convention Between the US and Great Britain.
    • On 12 June 1898, the Philippine Revolutionaries declared independence from Spain, while resistance against the American authorities continued. On 4-5 February 1899, the Battle of Manila between American and Filipino forces broke out, leading to the Philippine-American War, which lasted until 1902. The American wars against the sultanates in Mindanao lasted until 1913.
    • Between 1902 and 1935, the Philippines' initial military rule was replaced by a civil government. Ultimately, under the American authority, public education and democratic institutions, such as the 1907 Philippine Assembly, were introduced. By 1934, the Tydings-McDuffie Act promised eventual independence. The following year, the Commonwealth of the Philippines established a transitional government.

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    Frequently Asked Questions About The 1898 Treaty of Paris

    • What was the 1898 Treaty of Paris?
      The 1898 Treaty of Paris was the agreement that officially ended the Spanish-American War between Spain and the United States.
    • What territories did Spain give up?
      Spain relinquished control of Cuba and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
    • Why is the treaty historically significant?
      It marked the rise of the United States as a global imperial power and reshaped international politics at the turn of the 20th century.