What action did the U.S. take regarding Puerto Rico and Cuba after the Spanish-American War?

After the Spanish-American War, the United States focused on liberating Puerto Rico and Cuba from Spanish colonial rule. The war, which occurred in 1898, aimed to assist Cuba in achieving independence from Spain, which it successfully did. Following the conflict, Cuba was granted nominal independence, although the U.S. maintained significant influence over its affairs through the Platt Amendment, which allowed for U.S. intervention in Cuban matters.

In Puerto Rico, the situation was different; it was not granted independence but instead became a territory of the United States, subject to U.S. governance. This meant that Puerto Rico was integrated into the U.S. political sphere while still being recognized as a separate territory, which established a new dynamic for its residents and their rights.

The concept of liberation aligns more closely with the U.S. actions taken immediately after the war, as both territories were freed from Spanish control, even though their subsequent governance and integration into U.S. influence varied significantly.