On Feb. 6, 1899, Congress approved the Treaty of Paris, which also ceded the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to the U.S.

In the end, the Treaty of Paris was ratified by the Senate in a 57-27 vote. Under the terms of the treaty, the U.S. gained possession of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and for $20 million, the Philippines.

The 1898 Treaty of Paris awarded the US annexation of the former Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba, and the Philippines. Initially, American forces were greeted as liberators by ...