The rise of a non-Spanish bourgeois and the commerce market they controlled
fueled anti-colonial sentiments throughout the Caribbean in the 19th Century.
Spain had lost her grip on her colonial cities in the West Indies due to
the expensive Holy Wars being waged in Europe. The nation was spending it's
money not on expansion and development abroad, but on military and civilian
needs at home. The most visible resistance 
occured in Cuba starting
around 1895, and by 1898 US forces were in place to support the Cuban fight
for independence. In late April, war was declared between Spain and the
United States, leading to a brief series of battles over a period of eight
months. Spain's military was no match for the American forces and was handily
defeated in both the Pacific and Caribbean.
With the Cuban Revolution distracting the American government, Puerto Ricans were successfully. The SpanishAmerican troops were present in Mexico, Cuba, the Phillapines, and the Dominican Republic. Spain was forced to sign the Treaty of Paris in December of 1898, and they renounced any claim to Cuba and turned over to the United States Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Phillippines for a payment of $20 million.