On December 10, 1898 Spain renounced all claim to Cuba, ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States, and offered the Philippines to the United States for $20 million through the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The defeat of Spain was healthy for them because it turned their eyes back toward their own country instead of trying to expand their land. They were able to set their focus on developing their economic needs, along with developments in their culture and politics. During the clean-up of Cuba, the United States helped the Cubans find a way to rid the small country of yellow fever which was one of the major things that affected the Cubans more than the fight for independence. With the combined efforts of Dr. James Carroll, Dr. Walter Reed, and Dr. Jesse Lazear the American doctors were able to conclude that a certain type of mosquito was responsible for the spread to the disease and they were able to put an end to the plague. For America, the Spanish-American War brought them out of isolationism and into the position of a world …show more content…
The Monroe Doctrine also stated that if any European countries tried to take land or interfere with any establishments on either the North or South American continents then the action would be interpreted as hostile and the United States military will take the matter into their hands. As previously stated, the Spanish-American War brought the United States out of isolation and into the position of a growing world power. When the United States gained the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba it brought encouragement to the American people to support the expansion of the United States into territories that are not directly attached to the United States, such as Alaska. The negotiations and purchase of Alaska was done by William Seward and was looked down upon by most of the American people, which brought the nickname "Seward's Folly" to the purchase of Alaska. As a result of "Seward's Folly", Alaska turned out to hold a vast amount of gold and be a great addition to the United States' natural resources because of the oil that was found beneath the surface of the