The US assisted Cuba when it declared independence from Spain; this became the Spanish American war, which lasted from about 1898 to 1901. read more
United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (also called Gitmo or GTMO) is located on 45 square miles (120 km2) of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling (fueling) station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. read more
The U.S. joined in to help its neighbor and, though the Spanish-American War ended up focused mainly on the Spanish presence in the Philippines, Cuba was the site of the sinking of the USS Maine, the event that precipitated American military involvement. read more
The United States first seized Guantánamo Bay and established a naval base there in 1898 during the Spanish–American War in the Battle of Guantánamo Bay. : 160–163 In 1903, the United States and Cuba signed a lease granting the United States permission to use the land as a coaling and naval station. read more