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