Year

1898

3 sourced events from this year.

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1898

Politics 19th Century Oceaniahigh

United States Annexes Hawaiian Islands by Resolution

In the late 19th century, the Hawaiian Kingdom faced increasing American economic influence through sugar plantations and missionary descendants, culminating in the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani by pro-annexation forces. After years of political maneuvering and a failed treaty attempt, the U.S. Congress passed the Newlands Resolution on July 7, 1898, which President William McKinley signed into law. The joint resolution bypassed the need for a two-thirds Senate treaty vote and formally transferred sovereignty of the islands to the United States. Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900, ending the independent monarchy. This action reflected broader U.S. imperial ambitions in the Pacific amid the Spanish-American War.

Why it matters: Annexation integrated Hawaii into the U.S. economic and military sphere, providing a key naval base at Pearl Harbor and paving the way for statehood in 1959. It exemplified late-19th-century American expansionism and altered Pacific power dynamics, with lasting effects on Hawaiian culture and governance.

Event Detail

1898

Military 19th Century Latin America & Caribbeanhigh

United States Forces Invade Puerto Rico

In the Spanish-American War, U.S. naval victories in the Philippines and Cuba pressured Spain's Caribbean holdings. On July 25, General Nelson A. Miles led approximately 3,300 troops in an amphibious landing at Guánica on Puerto Rico's southern coast, shifting from the original eastern plan. Spanish resistance proved minimal as local forces offered little opposition, allowing rapid advances inland toward Yauco and Ponce. The operation secured key ports and towns within weeks with only a handful of U.S. casualties. Spain signed an armistice in August, transferring control of the island.

Why it matters: The invasion ended over 400 years of Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico. The 1898 Treaty of Paris ceded the island to the United States, beginning a new era of American administration that granted citizenship in 1917 and established commonwealth status in 1952.

Event Detail US Military Atlas

1898

Military 19th Century Sub-Saharan Africahigh

Kitchener Defeats Mahdists at Battle of Omdurman

Britain aimed to reconquer Sudan following the 1885 death of General Gordon and years of Mahdist control under the Khalifa. An Anglo-Egyptian army of about 25,000 troops under Major General Horatio Herbert Kitchener advanced along the Nile with gunboats, Maxim machine guns, and modern artillery. On September 2, 1898, near Omdurman outside Khartoum, this force met an estimated 50,000 Mahdist warriors charging in traditional fashion. The battle included a dramatic charge by the 21st Lancers featuring young Winston Churchill. Superior firepower inflicted over 10,000 Mahdist deaths and heavy wounds while limiting Anglo-Egyptian losses to around 500. The victory enabled the swift occupation of Khartoum and the imposition of Anglo-Egyptian rule over Sudan.

Why it matters: The battle secured British strategic dominance over the Nile watershed, thwarting rival European claims during the scramble for Africa and setting the stage for the Fashoda Incident resolution. It underscored the decisive advantage of industrialized weapons in colonial warfare and shaped Sudan's political trajectory under condominium rule until the mid-20th century.

Event Detail US Military Atlas