Independence Movement in Cuba

Growth of U.S. naval power, and its implications

Cuba had one of the longest histories of European colonial rule of any place in the world. Claimed for Spain by Christopher Columbus in 1492, it remained under Spanish rule until 1898, a period of just over 400 years. For much of that period, Cuba was a relative backwater, important for its strategic position on the sea route between Europe and the rest of Spanish America, but of little value or importance for itself.

Only in the 19th century did it become a jewel in the crown of the Spanish Empire, the "Ever-Faithful Colony" that did not break away when the mainland possessions did. By the later part of the century, however, a Cuban independence movement emerged, and the island was in a state of near-continuous insurgency from 1868 on. The remainder of this essay will explore the circumstances in which the Cuban independence movement arose, its peculiar fate, and its consequences.

Through the mid-19th century, tensions grew steadily between the Spanish government (itself unstable) and the Creole elite, Cubans of Spanish descent. Spain'

. . .
and limiting its scope. The situation "on the ground" thus favored Spain. Moreover, the insurgency was by this time clearly more than strictly an independence movement. It had clear social-revolutionary overtones, which could only be alarming to the Creole elite. Viewed in this light, the January 1898 offer was an effort to decisively win over Cuban elite opinion from the insurgent cause by lightening the heavy hand of Spain. IV. U.S. Intervention However, as suggested above, a third interpretation is plausible as well. If the situation on the ground favored Spain, the situation on the seas around Cuba increasingly did not. This became manifest in early 1898, when the United States battleship Maine entered Havana harbor on what was billed as a goodwill visit. The Maine was also, however, a reminder of the increasingly dominant weight of American naval power. The events of the Spanish-American war lie outside the scope of this essay, but the war itself was decisive in transferring Cuba from the formal empire of Spain to nominal independence and the informal empire of the United States. What caused the Maine to blow up soon after her arrival in Havana will never be known with total certainty. Two successive A
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Oregon Indiana, IV Intervention, Madrid's Dominion, Platt Amendment, United Navy, Carlos Manuel, War Cuban, Spain Moreover, Amendment Cubans, Ever-Faithful Colony, cuban independence, naval power, 19th century, independence movement, civil war, january 1898, ground favored spain, university pittsburgh, spanish empire, platt amendment, american naval, situation ground favored, growth naval power, favored annexation united, cuban independence movement,
Approximate Word count = 1808
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Independence Movement in Cuba