In 1898, a short, sharp war over Cuba led the U.S. to take control of Cuba, the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico. Cuban rebels had long been fighting to free their land from Spanish rule. In 1895, this rebellion flared up again. It threatened U.S. interests in Cuba. There were many causes to the Spanish American War, however there are some that play a much larger role in the cause of the war. How could such a little war have such a large impact on American society at the turn of the 20th century? Spain’s unwillingness to grant Cuba its long overdue independence led many in the U.S. to say that a war for Cuba was needed. Cuba was one of the only remaining colonies under Spanish control. At first the Spanish-American War did not involve the United