By 1898, Spain's continual harsh policies towards their rebellious colony Cuba, angered Americans. Spurred by American newspapers' zealous journalistic accounts of atrocities, Americans desire to prove themselves in warfare, and the false belief that the Spanish destroyed the U.S.S. Maine, the United States declared war. Fighting for less than a year in both Cuba and other Spanish colonies, including the Philippines, the United States won a decided victory. After the war the United States annexation of former Spanish colonies, including the Philippines, resulted in another war when Filipinos demanded self-governance. The Philippine-American War lasted from 1899 until the defeat of the Filipino independence movement in 1902.

Included in the virtual exhibit is artifacts and clothing from the Spanish-American and Phillipine-American War, as well as documents and artifacts pertaining to the United Spanish War Veterans a veteran group which became tied to GAR in the 1960s.

Non-GAR organizations in the exhibit:

United Spanish War Veterans (USWV), 1904-