▁Spanish – American ▁War ▁and ▁New lands ▁Resol ution ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁Cuba ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines ▁declared ▁independence ▁from ▁Spain . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁Spain ▁as ▁well , ▁as ▁it ▁open ly ▁wanted ▁control ▁of ▁these ▁countries . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁Spanish – American ▁War ▁as ▁its ▁r ationale , ▁the ▁US ▁Congress ▁passed ▁a ▁joint ▁resolution , ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁New lands ▁Resol ution , ▁by ▁a ▁simple ▁majority ▁of ▁both ▁houses . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁assert ed ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁leg ally ▁an nex ed ▁Hawai i . ▁Crit ics ▁argued ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁leg ally ▁perm iss ible ▁way ▁to ▁ac quire ▁territory ▁under ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Constitution . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁this , ▁there ▁were ▁continued ▁protest s ▁in ▁Hawai i ▁and ▁Washington ▁by ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom . ▁The ▁flag ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁raised ▁over ▁Hawai i ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁un il ater al ▁assertion ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁that ▁it ▁an nex ed ▁Hawai i , ▁couple d ▁with ▁the ▁continued ▁presence ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁military ▁forces ▁in ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁what ▁had ▁been ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁neutral ▁▁ ▁Hawai ian ▁Kingdom ▁up ▁until ▁the ▁landing ▁of ▁armed ▁US ▁Mar ines ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁The ▁War