The Conquest

    Columbus and his Spanish sailors first arrived in Cuba on Oct.17, 1492. They didn't think that Cuba was worth a valuable colony at first, but when they realized it is, they disregarded the traditions of the local indian tribes. During the conquest, the Spaniards slaughtered hundreds of men, women and children.(C)

    Diego Velasquez de Cueller was the first commissional governor of Cuba in 1511. Cuba then became a Spanish colony officially.  Velasquez became a feudal lord of Cuba himself. He personally found Cuba’s two largest cities, Santiago and Havana.(C) Havana's five harbors made it the most important naval and commercial center of the Spanish colonies in the Caribbeans. It became Capital in 1607. By the 18th century, Havana was the New World's greatest port.

    Spanish colonization created huge changes in the initial Cuban society. The large amount of labour colonization provided propped up the cuban economy based on raising livestock and mining gold. Because of the demand for pork, cattle hides and gold in other Spanish colonies, Cuba provided great opportunities for first settlers.(C) But gold supply in Cuba ran out and the Spaniards pushed the Indians even harder in order to provide the same amount of gold. What's more, livestock raising destroyed the Indians way of life. Huge herds trampled the crops which were the main sorce of food for the Indians. European diseases and the increasing workload made many Indians become ill and die. Some were simply worked to death.(C)

    But Cuban's economy revived fast because of the ideal position of the island. Soon it became a rich colonial market and was one of the major Spanish colonies.

The Fight For Independence

    Cuba remained one of the major Spanish colonies in the early 19th century. But Cuban citizens became more resentful of the cruel and corrupted Spain colonial government. The government enforced heavy taxes and restricted people's freedome. The native people had no political vocie.(A) Finally, the cubans decided to rebel.

    Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, a black general of Cuban's eastern provinces, first rebelled in October, 1868. He declared independence at Yara. The rebels established a provincial government and quickly gained support throughout the nation. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes's declaration of independence was the signal of the beginning of the famous Cuban "Ten Years War."(B)

    During the Ten Years War, even though the Cubans were united and fought the Spaniards as one, they had different interests in mind. The landowners' interests was economic and political independence, while the farmers and labourers wanted a immediate abolition of slavery and greater political power for the common. 200,000 people were killed in the Ten Years War, but Spain's plan to supress rebels from eastern half of Cuba was also unsuccessful. Neither side could win a clear victory.(A)

    At last, the Ten Years War ended with a peace treaty that was signed in 1878, "the Pact of El Zajon".(A) In the treaty, Spain promised the Cubans amnesty and homerule. They also provide freedom for slaves who fought on the side of the rebels.(B) Spain abloished slavery in 1886, but never fullfilled their other promises. They failed to provide political reform.(A) This led to Cuban's final attempt for independence.

    The Cuban War of Independence started in 1895. Jose Marti, a poet and patriot, led the rebellion with two generals Maximo Gomez and Antonio Maceo.(B) The planning of this revolt was done in New York. Marti started his pro-independence Party, the "Cuban Revolutionary Party"(PRC) in Tampa, Florida.(A) Many patriots of Cuba had U.S. citizenship while in exile, so many joined Marti, including Gomez and Maceo. After years of planning, the War of Independence finally began on February 24, 1895.

    The revoulutionary army took control of eastern Cuba and declared the independence of the Republic of Cuba in September 1895. In January, 1896, the rebel forces already controlled most of Cuba. To suppress the rebellion, Spanish government sent General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolaw to Cuba. He was well known as "El Carnicero"(The Butcher) because of his brutual treatments towards the Cubans. Weyler started a cruel program called "reconcenteration". It forced hundred thousands of Cubans into camps in the town and cities, where they died because of starvation and disease.(B) Mean while, Cuban propagandists in U.S. worked with English language to evoke sympathy for Cuban. Spain became less and less in favour in the world. Opinions against Spain were especially strong in America.(A)

    To prevent a Spanish-American war, Spain recalled Weyler in 1897 and ended "reconcenteration" in 1898.(B) But they still couldn't stop the United States's intervention. U.S. president William Mckinley declared war against Spain on April 28.(A) 5 months later Spain signed the treaty of Paris. Spain withdrew from Cuba and Cuba was allowed to become independent. The Fight for Independence was temporarily a success in Cuba.

    But the United States would not Cuba if they weren't already interested in Cuba themselves. During the 19th century, the U.S. tried to buy Cuba from Spain for several times but failed.(A) Americans helped in Cuba rebellion because Cuba was vauable to them politically and economically. When the Spaniards withdrew from Cuba, the U.S. occupation force remained. In the Treaty of Paris, Spain transferred Cuba, Puerto Rico and the philippines to the U.S. This allowed the U.S. to intervene militarily in Cuban affairs, and forced Cuba to begin an intimate relationship with America.(A) There was never a true Cuban sovereignty.