The 1898 Treaty of Paris

Hostile fighting between the United States of America and Spain were stalled on August 12, 1898 with the signing of a Protocol of Peace which was a prelude to further talks. Signed on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris successfully ended the Spanish - American war which lasted half a year. The much talked about treaty was heavily debated in the United States Senate during the 1898 - 1899 winter. It was approved on February 6, 1899 by a 57 - 27 vote. This goes without saying that America was a huge winner in the war gaining almost all of what Spain had lost. Meanwhile Spain was the loser. Territories lost to Spain were every single one. The Philippine Islands may have been the biggest of the lost of territories from the nation of Spain. The Paris treaty also specified that Cuba would become independent from Spain while under the conditions and terms of the United States Platt Amendment. This is also a time when the United States of America created the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in the southeastern portion of the nation of Cuba.

The Platt Amendment was a United States federal law passed on March 12, 1901 which stipulated the conditions of withdrawal of United States soldiers located in Cuba during the Spanish America War. It defined the relationship between the United States and Cuba and ceded the Guantanamo Bay area to America.

During the peace talks, the United States of America sent to the commission held in Paris, France delegates who were Minnesota Congressman Cushman K. Davis, Delaware Senator George Gray, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Whitelaw Reid, Maine Senator William P. Frye, and United States Secretary of State William R. Day. The nation of Spain sent delegates Don Eugenio Montero Rios, Don Buenaventura de Abarzuza, Don Rafael Cerero, Don Wenceslao Ramirez de Villa - Urrutia, Don Jose de Garnica. The nation of France sent delegate Jules Cambon.