F. H. Taylor, Strategic Map of our War with Spain (1898)

This map, created for the War Map Publishing Company in 1898 with illustrations by F.H. Taylor, highlights the principal theaters of conflict during the Spanish-American War, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Spain, and the United States. It also lists both U.S. and Spanish fleets, with Spanish vessels destroyed at Manila crossed out to emphasize the weakness of Spain’s navy. In 1898, Cuba was still under Spanish colonial rule, despite years of fighting by Cuban revolutionaries. Wary of European Imperialist intervention in the Americas, especially so close to U.S. territory, the United States kept close tabs on the conflict. An explosion on the USS Maine, a U.S. Navy vessel, in February 1898 in Havana harbor further escalated tensions. Congress attempted to pass a joint resolution recognizing Cuba’s independence and calling for an end to Spanish rule, but Spain rejected the proposal. In response, the United States established a naval blockade and increased its military presence in Cuba. Shortly after, Spain declared war on the United States, officially beginning the Spanish-American War. The conflict lasted only a few months before a ceasefire was signed on August 12, 1898. That December, the Treaty of Paris formally ended the war. Under the treaty, Cuba was guaranteed independence, Spain ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and the Philippines were sold to the United States for $20 million.