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How did the United States take control of Puerto Rico during the war?

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Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders — Spanish-American War Theodore Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, 1898; print created by Kurz & Allison.

During the Spanish-American War in 1898, the United States seized control of Puerto Rico through a brief military campaign. In May, U.S. naval forces commanded by Adm. W.T. Sampson bombarded San Juan. On July 25, Gen. Nelson A. Miles landed approximately 3,500 troops at Guánica on the southern coast, encountering only minimal military resistance.1

Hostilities ceased on August 12, 1898, following this short campaign. The United States sought the island primarily to secure a strategic coaling station for its warships, which would bolster its naval presence in the Caribbean and facilitate future access to the Isthmus of Panama. Formal sovereignty was transferred from Spain to the United States via the Treaty of Paris, which was signed in December 1898 and subsequently ratified in 1899.12