▁period , ▁Gu am ▁inherited ▁food , ▁language , ▁and ▁s urn ames ▁from ▁Spain ▁and ▁Spanish ▁America . ▁ ▁American ▁era ▁ ▁Capt ure ▁of ▁Gu am ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁captured ▁Gu am ▁in ▁a ▁blood less ▁landing ▁during ▁the ▁Spanish – American ▁War . ▁By ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Paris , ▁Spain ▁officially ▁c eded ▁the ▁island ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Gu am ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁American ▁te legraph ▁line ▁to ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁also ▁c eded ▁by ▁the ▁treat y ; ▁a ▁way ▁station ▁for ▁American ▁ships ▁travel ing ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁there ; ▁and ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁War ▁Plan ▁Orange ▁against ▁Japan . ▁Although ▁Alfred ▁Th ayer ▁Mah an , ▁Robert ▁Co ont z , ▁and ▁others ▁en vision ed ▁the ▁island ▁as ▁" a ▁kind ▁of ▁Gib ral tar " ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁Congress ▁repeatedly ▁failed ▁to ▁ful fill ▁the ▁military ' s ▁requests ▁to ▁fort ify ▁Gu am ; ▁when ▁a ▁German ▁war ship ▁was ▁intern ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁before ▁America ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁its ▁crew ▁of ▁ 5 4 3 ▁out number ed ▁their ▁American ▁cust od ians . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁Catholic ▁Encyclopedia ▁said ▁of ▁Gu am , ▁" of ▁its ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 1 , 4 9 0 ▁( 1 1 , 1 5 9 ▁n atives ),