How did victory in the Spanish American war changed the United States' position in the world?

How did the Spanish American War make the United States a world power?

The US victory in the Spanish American War resulted in the Us gaining possession and/or control of many new territories. These and other territorial gains resulted in the creation of a new far flung empire.

Prior to the Spanish American War the United States gained control of the Hawaiian Islands. From the early 1800's American business interests had grown in Hawaii, a series of islands that remained independent. In time the Dole Family was the largest landowner and the Hawaiian Royal family more or less followed whatever they and the United States said. In the mid 1800's a new queen, Queen Liliuokalani gained control of the Islands and began to pass a series of anti American laws. As these laws hurt business the Dole's and other private American businessmen funded a revolution and took over Hawaii. The USS Boston, a US Battleship, sat in the Harbor making any Hawaiian resistance impossible. In 1895 Hawaii became a US territory.