The significance of the Treaty of Paris in 1898 lies in its conclusion of the Spanish-American War and the resulting geopolitical shifts. Signed on December 10, 1898, the treaty ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States, marking a significant expansion of American territories beyond the continental U.S. This acquisition positioned the U.S. as a rising global power and paved the way for future American involvement in international affairs. The treaty also highlighted the decline of Spain as a colonial empire and demonstrated the U.S.’s emerging role in imperialism, as it transitioned from isolationism to a more interventionist foreign policy outlook.