Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines

Definition

These are territories that came under U.S. control as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898.

Analogy

Think of these territories like new additions to a sports team. The U.S., after winning a big game (the Spanish-American War), got to draft some new players (Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines) onto their team.

Related terms

Spanish-American War: A conflict between Spain and the United States in 1898 that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America.

Imperialism: A policy or ideology by which a nation extends its power by acquiring territory, often far from its borders, through colonization or other means.

Colonialism: The practice by which a powerful country directly controls less powerful countries and uses their resources to increase its own power and wealth.