List of battles of the Spanish–American War facts for kids

The Spanish–American War was a short but important conflict. It involved the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy fighting against the Spanish Army and Spanish Navy. There were 30 major battles during this war. Most of these battles (27) happened in the Caribbean Sea, around places like Cuba and Puerto Rico. The other three battles took place in the Pacific Ocean, near the Philippines and Guam.

How the War Began

A big event that helped start the war was when the U.S. Navy battleship Maine mysteriously sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. Many people in the United States, especially from the Democratic Party, wanted war. President William McKinley, a Republican, tried to avoid it. Spain had promised many times to make changes in Cuba, but they never did.

On April 20, the United States told Spain to give up control of Cuba. Spain declared war on April 23, and the U.S. declared war two days later.

The main reason for the war was Cuba's freedom from Spain. The war lasted only ten weeks and was fought in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. After war was declared, the U.S. Navy blocked Spanish ports like Havana and Cardenas. The Spanish tried to break these blockades.

In the Pacific, Commodore Dewey led the U.S. Navy to destroy the Spanish Pacific Fleet in Manila Bay on May 1. However, he couldn't land troops right away. The U.S. Navy also blocked Puerto Rico and attacked San Juan. The Spanish tried to break this blockade and succeeded on their second try in June.

U.S. Marines also cut underwater telegraph lines near Cienfuegos, but they faced heavy Spanish fire. The U.S. also captured the port of Guantánamo Bay after a four-day battle that ended on June 10.

U.S. soldiers landed in Cuba on June 22. They had a successful fight at Las Guasimas two days later. Meanwhile, the island of Guam was "captured" by the Americans, which mostly meant raising the American flag. The U.S. also tried to land troops near Trinidad, but Spanish forces pushed them back.

U.S. forces captured San Juan Heights, which overlooked Santiago de Cuba. This happened after two battles at San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill. Before these, there was a smaller battle at Battle of El Caney on the right side of San Juan Hill. The Spanish tried twice to break the blockade on the port of Manzanillo, but failed. The Spanish fleet also tried to escape Santiago harbor, but U.S. gunboats and cruisers destroyed it.

After this victory, U.S. forces surrounded Santiago de Cuba for 14 days until the Spanish surrendered. There were still some small fights afterward. The Spanish managed to break the U.S. blockade at Manzanillo. However, the Americans sank two Spanish ships at Nipe Bay. The Americans also tried to land at Mani-Mani, west of Havana, but the Spanish stopped them.

On July 23, Americans landed near the port of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Two days later, there was a small fight at Yauco, which the Americans won. The Spanish retreated and tried to destroy train tracks to Ponce, but failed. On August 5, American forces marched into Guayama, but the Spanish had already left.

From August 8 to 9, an American group captured the mountain at Coamo, Puerto Rico, on the way to Ponce. At the same time, there was a battle at Fajardo that didn't have a clear winner. This led to a lighthouse being captured and then left empty. One day later, the Americans captured Silva Heights. The Americans also landed near Mayaguez and captured the town without any fighting.

At the Battle of Asomante, U.S. forces took Asomante and captured many Spanish soldiers. At the same time, American forces also captured Manila. These two battles led to a ceasefire agreement, which quickly led to the Treaty of Paris. This treaty officially ended the Spanish–American War.

The 1898 Treaty of Paris was very good for the U.S. It gave the U.S. temporary control of Cuba. Spain also gave up ownership of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. For the Philippines, the U.S. paid Spain $20 million (which is a lot of money today) to cover the cost of Spanish buildings and roads there.

The U.S. set up a military government in Cuba right after the treaty. Cuba later became an independent country in 1902. The Philippines also fought against U.S. control, leading to the Philippine–American War from 1899 to 1902. Spain also sold its remaining Pacific islands to Germany in 1899.

Battles in the Pacific

Philippine Campaign

Guam is Captured

Battles in the Caribbean

U.S. forces attacking Spanish positions during the Battle of Las Guasimas.

Cuba Campaign

Puerto Rico Campaign

See also

In Spanish: Batallas de la guerra hispano-estadounidense para niños