Introduction to History of Cuba
As early as 200 years before Spanish exploration of the New World, Cuba was inhabited by three groups of Arawak Indians—the Cyboneys, Guanahacabibes, and Tainos. The Tainos occupied the central and eastern regions of Cuba, as well as some nearby Caribbean islands.
Important dates in Cuba1492 Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba and claimed the island for Spain.1520's The first African slaves arrived in Cuba.1762 The British seized Havana. They returned it to Spanish control in 1763.1868-1878 Cuban revolutionaries fought Spanish rule in the Ten Years' War. Under the Pact of Zanjon, which ended the war, Spain promised reforms.1886 Slavery was abolished in Cuba.1895 A revolution, led by Jose Marti, broke out in Cuba against Spanish rule.1898 The United States, supporting the Cuban rebels, defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War. Spain gave up all claims to Cuba.1898-1902 A U.S. military government controlled Cuba.1901 Cuba adopted a constitution that included as set of provisions called the Platt Amendment. The amendment allowed the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs.1902 Tomas Estrada Palma became the first president of the Republic of Cuba.1906-1909 United States forces again occupied Cuba.1933 A revolutionary group led by Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar took control of the government.1934 The United States and Cuba signed a treaty that canceled the Platt Amendment.1959 Fidel Castro's forces overthrew Batista's government, and Castro became ruler of the country.1961 Cuban exiles sponsored by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs and were quickly defeated by Castro's army.1962 The Soviet Union agreed to U.S. demands that it remove its missiles from Cuba and dismantle the remaining missile bases on the island.1976 Cuba adopted a new constitution that established the Communist Party as the leading authority in the government and society.1991 The Soviet Union, which had been an important source of economic aid to Cuba, was dissolved. Cuba's economy suffered greatly as a result.1993 Cuba instituted economic reforms that allowed some workers to start private businesses.Spanish Cuba
Christopher Columbus reached Cuba in 1492, on his first voyage. Conquest was begun in 1511 by Diego Velásquez, who founded the first Spanish settlement at Baracoa the following year and Santiago de Cuba and other settlements in 1514. Hatuey, a Taino chief, organized his people to resist conquest. The Tainos were easily overwhelmed by the more technologically advanced Spanish. (Hatuey later became a symbol of independence in Spanish-ruled Cuba.) The native population was soon virtually annihilated by disease and mistreatment, and African slaves were brought to work in the sugarcane fields.
Havana, also founded in 1514, was originally built on the southern coast of Cuba. The settlement was moved to its present site in 1519. Its port, guarded by Morro Castle (built 1587–97), was called "the key to the New World" and became a prime target for pirates because of the many treasure-laden ships that landed there.
Privateers in the service of England seized Havana in 1762. The British occupation brought great changes to all of Cuba. The British greatly expanded trade and encouraged the cultivation of sugarcane, and more slave labor was brought from Africa. The Treaty of Paris (1763) returned Havana to Spain; in exchange, the British acquired Florida.
During the 1820's many attempts were made to throw off Spanish rule. A series of slave uprisings during the 1830's caused many Cuban slave owners to advocate Cuba's annexation by the United States. Except in the South, however, there was vehement protest within the United States against annexation. Once the American Civil War (1861–65) began, Cubans lost hope of being annexed.
In 1868 a group of wealthy planters led by Carlos Manuel de Cespeded mounted a rebellion—the greatest challenge to Spanish rule yet attempted. The rebels sought help from the slaves by promising them freedom. The Ten Years' War, as the fighting was called, ended in 1878 with the surrender of the rebel forces.
Independent Cuba
José Martí, a lawyer, poet, and journalist who had been exiled from Cuba, founded the Cuban Revolutionary party in 1892 while living in New York City. Veterans of the Ten Years' War were recruited to aid in the revolution. Open rebellion broke out on the island in March, 1895. Martí was killed in battle two months later. The following year, Spain sent some 100,000 troops to Cuba to put down the rebellion.
In February, 1898, the United States battleship Maine —sent to Havana harbor to help protect United States citizens in Cuba—blew up under mysterious circumstances. The American press blamed Spain, and in April the United States declared war against the Spanish, Following Spain's defeat a treaty was signed, on December 10, 1898, granting Cuba independence. United States military occupation, under General Leonard Wood, was set up to maintain order until a democratic Cuban government could be established.
A constitution was adopted in 1901. It included provisions of an act of the U.S. Congress called the Platt Amendment, which gave the United States the right to intervene in Cuba. In 1902 the government was formally organized and Tomás Estrada Palma was elected president. Political disturbances led to United States control, 1906–09. In the Cuban administrations that followed, political instability continued, but progress was made in education, sanitation, and public works.
After 1928 President Machado y Morales tried to make himself dictator. He was overthrown in 1933. In the succeeding years. Fulgencio Batista, one of the leaders of the 1933 revolt, installed and deposed presidents at will. The provisions of the Platt Amendment were nullified in 1934 by the United States. Batista lost power in 1944, but in 1952 he regained control in a coup and made himself dictator.
Communist Cuba
Fidel Castro, a lawyer and a radical guerrilla leader, overthrew Batista in 1959. Castro's political opponents were jailed or executed. Many Cubans fled the island, settling mostly in the United States. Foreign-owned properties were confiscated. It became more and more evident that the new regime was pursuing Communist policies. Land was distributed to peasants, and most private businesses were taken over by the government. Soviet aid and influence grew.
In January, 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba. In April, about 1,500 anti-Castro Cuban exiles—armed and trained with American invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs but were defeated within hours. In 1962 the discovery of Soviet missile bases in Cuba was followed by a United States naval blockade of the island. A possible war between the United States and the Soviet Union was averted when the Soviets dismantled their bases.
Meanwhile, Cuba sought to foment revolutions in other Latin American countries. In 1964 the Organization of American States (OAS) required its members to end trade and diplomatic relations with Cuba. In 1967, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a top Castro lieutenant, was killed while leading guerrillas in Bolivia.
In 1967 the government took over all privately owned farms, and in 1968 it nationalized all remaining private businesses. The economy remained depressed, and there were scarcities of food and consumer items. Cuba made great strides, however, in raising the educational level and improving the health of its people. In 1972 the country joined the Communist bloc's Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON).