The document discusses the Spanish-American War between the United States and Spain from 1898-1902. It argues that if the USS Maine battleship had not exploded in Havana Harbor, the war may have been prevented. The outline then details the key events of the war, including rising tensions over Cuban independence, the sinking of the Maine, the US declaration of war on Spain, major battles like Manila Bay, and the Treaty of Paris that ended the war and transferred control of Cuba and the Philippines from Spain to the United States.