What were the causes and effects of the spanish - american war?

The Spanish-American War was caused by several events building up in Cuba. Cuba had been one of Spain's oldest colonies. It was a very important colony to Spain due to the wealth that it brought through its sugarcane plantations. In 1868, Cuba made its first attempt to gain independence through a guerrilla war without American intervening and also without success. Plagued by economic crisis, Cuba rose up again in 1895. Again, the new American president William McKinley did not want to intervene in the war between Cuba and Spain. When the war gained momentum in Havana (the capital of Cuba today), McKinley decided to send the battleship "Maine" to Havana, so that Americans there could evacuate if they were to be attacked. That battleship, though, soon exploded and the press blamed Spain for this explosion, setting up the Spanish-American battle. Congress declared Cuba independent and demanded Spain to withdraw. Spain in turn declared war on the United States.