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