| The island of Cuba has been inhabited for
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| | republic. Martí was killed shortly
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| more than several thousand years by
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| | thereafter and has become Cuba's
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| Amerindian peoples known as the Taíno
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| | undisputed national hero.
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| and Ciboney. The Taíno were known to be
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| | The Spanish-American War resulted when
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| mostly farmers while the Ciboney were
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| | the U.S. battleship Maine was
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| hunter-gatherers. The name Cuba in fact
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| | mysteriously blown up in Havana harbor,
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| is derived from the Taíno word
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| | killing 266 men. The U.S. accused Spain,
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| cubanacán, which means "a central
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| | even though they had no motive, and
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| place". Christopher Columbus sighted the
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| | quickly passed a resolution calling for
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| island during his first voyage of
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| | intervention. The war started when U.S.
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| discovery on 24 October 1492, and
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| | forces landed in Cuba in June 1898 and
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| immediately claimed it for Spain.
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| | quickly overcame Spanish resistance. In
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| Spain possessed the island of Cuba for
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| | August a peace treaty was signed under
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| 388 years, ruled by the governor of
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| | which Spain agreed to withdraw from Cuba.
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| Havana. It had an economic base of
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| | Some advocates in the U.S. supported
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| plantation agriculture and main exports
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| | Cuban independence, while others argued
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| of sugar, coffee and tobacco to Europe
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| | for outright annexation. As a compromise,
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| and later to North America. British
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| | the McKinley administration placed Cuba
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| seized the island in 1762, but returned
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| | under a 20-year U.S. trusteeship. The
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| it to Spain the following year. Like most
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| | Cuban independence movement bitterly
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| of the Spanish Empire, a small
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| | opposed this arrangement, but unlike the
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| land-owning elite of settlers held all
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| | Philippines, where events had followed a
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| the social and economic power. They were
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| | similar course, there was no outbreak of
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| served by a population of small farmers,
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| | armed resistance.
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| laborers and slaves.
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| | Theodore Roosevelt, who had fought in the
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| Many architectural masterpieces
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| | Spanish-American War and had some
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| constructed during Spanish rule still
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| | sympathies with the independence
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| stand today. An excellent example is the
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| | movement, succeeded McKinley as President
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| Catedral de San Cristóbal, Havana.
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| | of the United States in 1901 and
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| During the 1820s, when the rest of
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| | abandoned the 20-year trusteeship
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| Spain's empire in South America rebelled
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| | proposal. Instead, the Republic of Cuba
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| and seceeded, Cuba remained loyal,
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| | gained formal independence on 20 May
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| although some campaigned for
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| | 1902, with the independence leader Tomás
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| independence. Partly because fears of a
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| | Estrada Palma becoming the country's
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| slave rebellion (as had happened in
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| | first president. Under the new Cuban
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| Haiti) if the Spanish withdrew, partly
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| | constitution, however, the U.S. retained
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| because the prosperity of Cuban settlers
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| | the right to intervene in Cuban affairs
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| depended on their export trade to Europe,
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| | and to supervise its finances and foreign
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| and partly because Cuba feared the rising
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| | relations. Under the Platt Amendment,
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| power of the United States more than they
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| | Cuba also agreed to lease to the U.S. the
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| disliked Spanish colonial rule.
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| | naval base at Guantánamo Bay.
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| Due to the fact that Cuba is a mere 90
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| | Independent Cuba soon ran into
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| miles from the United States has had a
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| | difficulties as a result of factional
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| profound influence on the countries
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| | disputes and corruption among the small
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| development. Politicians in the south
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| | educated elite and the failure of the
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| plotted the island's annexation as a
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| | government to deal with the deep social
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| means of bolstering the pro-slavery
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| | problems left behind by the Spanish. In
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| forces in the U.S. throughout the early
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| | 1906, following disputed elections to
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| 1900's. In 1848 a pro-annexationist
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| | choose Estrada Palma's successor, an
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| uprising was defeated after several
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| | armed revolt broke out and the U.S.
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| failed invasion atemps from Florida
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| | exercised its right of intervention. The
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| proved fruitless. After that the United
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| | country was placed under U.S. occupation
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| States tried to buy Cuba from Spain but
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| | and a U.S. governor took charge for three
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| was always turned down.
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| | years. In 1908 self-government was
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| Rural poverty in Spain led to a
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| | restored when José Miguel Gómez was
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| substantial Spanish emigration to Cuba.
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| | elected President, but the U.S. retained
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| Among those arriving were the parents of
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| | its supervision of Cuban affairs. Despite
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| Fidel Castro. During the 1890s
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| | frequent outbreaks of disorder, however,
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| pro-independence agitation revived,
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| | constitutional government was maintained
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| fueled by resentment of the restrictions
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| | until 1925, when Gerardo Machado y
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| imposed on Cuban trade by Spain and
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| | Morales, having been elected President,
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| hostility to Spain's increasingly
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| | suspended the constitution.
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| oppressive and incompetent administration
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| | This brief article can't possibly address
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| of Cuba. On 15 July 1895 rebellion broke
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| | the vast history that is Cuba. I have
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| out and the independence party, led by
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| | listed several excellent books at the end
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| Tomás Estrada Palma and the poet José
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| | of this article. You can find them all at
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| Martí, proclaimed Cuba an independent
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| | Amazon or your local bookstore.
|
