When McKinley took office, a revolt against Spanish rule was already underway in Cuba. Many Americans, excited by the prospect of a foreign conquest, wanted to join the fight. McKinley tried to maintain neutrality, but when the U.S. battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, Americans demanded action. McKinley yielded. War was declared, and U.S. troops routed the Spanish in Cuba. Spain agreed to Cuban independence and handed over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States.
