What were the important consequences of the American victory in the Spanish American War?

Answer 1

The singular most important consequence was that America acquired an overseas empire. These island bases allowed the easy expansion of Naval power and hence political influence further into the Pacific and allowed the Caribbean to become an " American lake", defending the Monroe Doctrine. It likely also allowed the emancipation of Cuba and the Philippines at a somewhat earlier date than would have otherwise happened under Spanish colonial rule. With the other bits and pieces who knows what there fate would have been.