The primary reason for the Spanish-American War in 1898 was the U.S. intervention in Cuba's struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule. Rising tensions were fueled by sensationalist journalism, particularly yellow journalism, that highlighted Spanish atrocities against Cuban citizens. Additionally, the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor was a catalyst that pushed public opinion and governmental action towards war. The conflict resulted in a swift U.S. victory, leading to the Treaty of Paris, which ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States and marked the emergence of the U.S. as a global power.