The Spanish-American War wears a mask of an incident where the U.S. interfered to help Cuba reach independence from Spain. However, the Spanish-American War actually marked the beginning of U.S. imperialism. Although Cuba was freed from Spanish control, Cuba was highly influenced by American control because of the adoption of the Platt Amendment which officially granted the U.S. the power to intervene in Cuban affairs and, in a way, impose its American ideals into Cuba. In fact, after the Spanish-American War, the U.S. proceeded to annex Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, expanding its influence onto a broader world stage. Even though the President at the time wanted to initially free these nations from American influence, people such
