The United States truly emerged as a world power following a war with Spain in 1898--the Spanish-American War. In this concise overview of the conflict, readers of all levels learn the causes of the war, how each side fought, and the war's effects. A timeline sums up the war in a simple way for readers to reference as they read. Historical photographs and images of the war will help visual learners connect with the material. The text supports knowledge building, a key component in the science of reading.