The United States went to war against Spain in 1898 to assist Cubans who were rebelling against Spanish rule. The United States took control of Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898 and held it until 1902, when Cuba was granted independence. The three-year military occupation by the United States ended with an agreement that the United States would be allowed to lease Guantanamo Bay, which the United States still uses as a naval base.