Premium Essay

Cuban Independence Movement Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 1711
Pages 7
The Cuban independence movement was one that spans over 100 years with many false starts. We will be looking at what led up to Cuba’s independence from Spain at the end of the Spanish American War. One thing that you will notice is there was no single person or movement that led the charge to independence, but a mix of people from all walks of Cuban life. We will also see that Spain made some of the same mistakes that Great Brittan had had with the United States, helping to push the Cubans to want change.
Let us start with a little bit of history leading up to the major moves to independence. As early as 1790 the idea of independence was popular in Cuba, with the first attempt at revolution taking place in 1791, led by José Antonio Aponte. …show more content…
It had become one of the main sugar producers in the world and Spain bought and distributed it. Cuba also had major agricultural production with 80% of their produce being sold to the United States. By 1834, the island was governed by generals who established strict and often cruel measures. The next serious attempt took place in 1850, commanded by Narciso López, who had conspired against Spain in New York. He arrived in Cuba with 600 men. They managed to conquer Cárdenas, but they did not achieve popular support and had to abandon the island. A few more failed attempts occurred over the next few years, until executions of conspirators began in 1855 and all was calm for more than 10 years. In 1866, Cuban representatives travelled to Spain to meet in Madrid representatives of the Spanish Government, the sugar industry needed strong investments to modernize their plants. However, when conversations failed, the Spanish insisted on lowering the custom rights and refused to finance the modernization. This was the breaking point for many Cubans; it was time for revolution and …show more content…
The Captain of the ship Charles Sigsbee and Commander Ramón Blanco became friends, but on the night of February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded witnessed by Havana Port and half the city. Of a crew of 355, only 99 officers survived that were at a Spanish reception. The next day, the United States press, led by press magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, printed headlines accusing Spain of attacking the USS Maine. Both nations carried on separate investigations with the United States claiming that the explosion was caused by external causes and Spain determining it was an internal explosion. The United States accused Spain of attacking their ship and demanded that they leave Cuba. The Spanish denied everything and refused their ultimatums. Spain's war declaration in case of invasion came soon after, but Cuba had already been blockaded by the United States starting the Spanish American

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

A Call for Further Research: Afro-Chinese Marriages in 20th Century Cuba

...A Call for Further Research: Afro-Chinese Marriages in 20th Century Cuba Katie Wang UCLA Professor Wright-Dixon I. Introduction Coalitions through marriage is a long understood concept. Kingdom alliances through marriages are ones that first come to mind. Often fictional portrayals of real pressures for pressures to gain resources or military alliance for a capital or imperial need involve young princes and princesses who are forced to marry. However, in a nonfictional example for this paper, Chinese indentured laborers or former indentured laborers and African slaves or former slaves married in 19th century Cuba both romantically and strategically. I argue that there needs to be further research around Afro-Chinese marriages in Cuba and a recentering on women. I had originally planned to center this paper around African slave women who married Chinese men in Cuba in the 19th century but was not able to because of the lack of literature available. However, I aim to focus on a reading against the grain for indications of women’s agency and voice in this set of literature. My personal stakes in this topic are two-fold. First, my mother’s side of my family lived in Cuba for a few decades from the late 1920s to 1960 as a part of an entrepreneurial endeavor and as refuge from persecution from the Communist Party of China. Because of my personal tie to Chinese in Cuba, I seek to uncover untold stories and hidden transcripts. Second, this paper is a part of a larger project...

Words: 3789 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

History

...ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS MAY/JUNE 2007 GENERAL COMMENTS The format of the Examination in CAPE History is similar for both Unit 1 and Unit 2. Paper 01 in each unit consisted of nine short-answer questions, three on each Module. The questions were intended to assess the range of content covered by the syllabus, and questions were set on each theme. Candidates were expected to answer all nine questions. This paper was worth 30 per cent of the candidates’ overall grade. Paper 02, on the other hand, emphasized depth of coverage. Three questions were set on each Module, one of which required candidates to analyse extracts from a set of documents related to one of the themes in the Module. The other two questions were extended essays. Both the document analysis and the essay questions required well-developed and clearly reasoned responses. Candidates were required to choose three questions, one from each Module. They were required to respond to one document analysis and two essay questions. This paper contributed 50 per cent to the candidates’ overall grade. Paper 03, was the internal assessment component. Candidates were required to complete a research paper on a topic of their choice from within the syllabus. This paper contributed 20 per cent to the candidates’ overall grade. Unit 1: The Caribbean in the Atlantic World Paper 1- Short Responses that Test Coverage Module 1 This Module focused on Indigenous Societies and their encounter with the Iberians. Question 1 This question...

Words: 3883 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Tainos, Indigenous People

...Final Research Paper: Tainos, The indigenous people Before the discovery of the new world, it has been known of the various indigenous people that once inhabited our lands. The more popular natives such as the Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs have been widely sought out in today’s age, unlike other lesser-known tribes such as the Tainos. Today many tribes have vastly decreased in number and size, but there are those who still practice and familiarize themselves with their heritage. I myself can relate to this small percentage of people, due to the fact I am descendent of the Tainos from Cuba. Hence, I decided to make my research paper based on the history of my heritage: The Tainos. The word Taino derived from the meaning “men of the good.” Based on historical facts, the Tainos were indeed good people. These indigenous people established a culture where the human temperament was kind. Among the Taino at the time of contact, generosity and kindness were governing values in society as well as directed towards an ecological interaction with the natural surroundings. It suggested a lifestyle that tried to feed its entire people, and a spirituality that was valued, through ceremonies. The Taino lived humbly in an abundant place and so their environment was abundant. The Tainos & Ciboneys were related to the cultural Arawak group, who was one of the main indigenous people of South America and the Caribbean. They spoke Taino, which was considered Arawak language...

Words: 2421 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

History

...to make adaptation as easy as possible. These schemes of work give guidance for: * Content to be covered * Approximate time to spend on different key themes * Ideas for incorporating and developing the assessment skills related to each unit. Suggested teaching time This is based on a two year teaching course of five and a half terms with one and a half hours of history teaching each week. This would be a seventy week course with total teaching time of approximately 100 hours. The schemes suggest the following timescale for the different sections: * Paper 1: 20 hours for each of the two topics: Total 40 hours. * Paper 2 Section A: 20 hours for the topic: Total 20 hours. * Paper 2 Section B: 25 hours for the topic since it covers a longer period in time. Total 25 hours. * Revision: 15 hours. Possible options for those with less teaching time * 20 hours for Section Paper 2 Section B * 10 hours for revision. Other course planning support You will find other support for planning the course in the Teacher’s Guide. This is a free downloadable resource that you can access at www.edexcel.com/certificate. Edexcel Subject Advisors Edexcel has a team of specialist subject advisors available to help you with implementation of this specification. You can contact them by email...

Words: 19278 - Pages: 78

Premium Essay

Literacy

...of the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies in Mona. Jamaica, has been active in politics and the trade union movement in his native Jamaica for over twenty years. In the 1970s he helped found the University and Allied Workers Union and later the Workers Party of Jamaica. While a visitor at Queen's University in Kingston in the spring of 1989, he spoke with Grant Amyot and Colin Leys about the difficulties which the Left now faces in the Caribbean. T SPE: As a student at Oxford in the late 1960s, Trevor, you were one of the most brilliant leaders of the student movement there. After finishing your studies you decided to go back to Jamaica, and to make a choice for political activism as opposed to a purely intellectual career. Why did you make this choice? What factors contributed to it? TM: The choice of activism is always a combination of processes. There is no particular moment when you can say, "I've been a student or a theoretician so far, let me become an activist now," or vice versa. I got to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar from Jamaica, which is a kind of pinnacle of middle-class and national achievement. But by that time the changes in my own outlook pointed me toward a radical path, combining activism as a student at the University of the West Indies with a concern for theoretical work at the same time. The Cuban revolution occurred in 1959. In the 1960s Jamaica - along with many other Caribbean colonies - became independent; and in the Studies...

Words: 7727 - Pages: 31

Premium Essay

Latin America

...| 2012 | | Core 8 [FOreign Policy in latin America](Paper taken to writing clinic: hannah) | | Every country’s foreign policy consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations. Its goal is to interact with other countries and non-state actors. Foreign policies are designed by the government through high-level decision making processes. The US has been involved in foreign affairs with Latin America for some time now. How are the US and Latin America with Foreign Affairs? Are Latin Americans’ Intellectual Properties being robbed? Are Latin American countries being restored and growing? There are many other questions to ask regarding the foreign policy issues concerning Latin America. One huge problem with Foreign Affairs/Policies is the Drug Trafficking from Latin America into the United States. Cuba is not necessarily a drug producing country but it is a transit one. In 1998 nearly 7.2 metric tons of cocaine were seized in Colombia on its way to Cuba. Also, there was a 50% increase in drug over flight, which includes people carrying drugs as mules on planes and the dropping of drugs into American water from Cuban planes heading to the States (House Government Reform Committee) Castro had once said that he did not want the United States interfering with Cuban drug relations. Most American government officials believed him to be the main cause of drug transportation...

Words: 4057 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Sos-440 Final Paper

...SOS-440 Final Paper According to Author Rex A. Hudson, “Terrorists are motivated not only by psychological factors but also very real political, social, religious, and economic factors, among others. These factors vary widely”. Accordingly, the motivations, goals, and ideologies of ethnic separatist, anarchist, social revolutionary, religious fundamentalist, and new religious terrorist groups differ significantly. (Hudson, 1999) Therefore, each terrorist group must be examined within its own cultural, economic, political, and social context in order to better understand the motivations of its individual members and leaders and their particular ideologies. (Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1999, para. 54) I will use Hudson’s assertion as my theoretical framework to analyze if my findings are compatible with a plausible assertion that terrorism is based off social and political views of the people who see their current state as unjust. The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional or ELN) is a revolutionary guerrilla army; who have fought in the Colombian Civil War since it began in 1964. The ELN advocate a composite Communist ideology of Marxism and Liberation Theology. The ELN was founded by Fabio Vásquez Castaño and other Colombian rebels trained in Communist Cuba; upon the Vásquez Castaño death, the ELN was headed by a series of Roman Catholic priests, exponents of Liberation Theology. (Brittain, 2010) Most notable was the Priest Camilo...

Words: 1930 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

History - Short Assignments

...Assignment 1 How was the south changed? The chief accomplishment of the new south was the expansion of textile production, as the number of cotton mills grew from 161 to 400. There was also an increase in the lumber industry, coal production, and tobacco growth. Although, the majority of southern farmers were not flourishing, which caused sharecropping and tendancy to increase between blacks and whites. The bourbons perfected a political alliance with northern conservatives and economic alliance with northern capitalists. They also reduced state expenditures and public debt. Attitudes about race became more strongly felt and the prospect of an electoral alliance between poor whites and blacks that could threaten the power structure became a possibility, so the southern states came up with various ways to disenfranchise blacks. Also, “Jim Crow” laws were enacted to mandate public separation of the races. Legalized segregation reinforced the notions of white racial superiority and African-American inferiority, creating an atmosphere that encouraged violence, and during the 1890s lynching’s of blacks rose significantly. Define the New West. After 1865, the federal government encouraged western settlement and economic exploitation. The transcontinental railroads opened the western half of the nation to economic development and created an interconnected national market. Needing rapid communication, companies built telegraph lines along the railroad as the track was laid...

Words: 5444 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Marxism

...common interest’ (Miller, 1998, p. 377). Moreover, this must be powerful enough to break the economic, social and ideological grip of the capitalist system that he has analysed and exposed in such detail. The mode of production is the economic key, as it was for the emergence of capitalism. However, the development of capitalism itself creates a fresh social and psychological context, providing the proletariat with the opportunity to recognize their common circumstance as an incentive to further self-transforming struggles. In The Communist manifesto, Marx argues that historically every form of society has been based, as we have already seen, on the antagonism of oppressing and oppressed classes. However, ‘The proletarian movement is the self-conscious movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense...

Words: 3781 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Latin

...Planning Your Historical Investigation ­ Examples of Types of Investigations ­ Examples of Research Questions ­ ­ Choice of Topic ­ ­ ­ ­ 20th Century ­ ­ ­ ­ History of the Americas ­ ­ Alternative ­ ­ ­ ­ The Written Account & Assessment Criteria A. Plan of the Investigation ­ ­ B. Summary of Evidence ­ ­ C. Evaluation of Sources ­ ­ D. Analysis ­ ­ ­ ­ E. Conclusion ­ ­ ­ F. Sources and Word Limit ­ ­ Sample History IAs ­ ­ ­ ­ 1­Trotsky and the Russian Civil War 2­US in Chile 3­Women in the French Revolution 4­Pre­WWI Alliances ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ 4 7 9 ­ 10 11 12 13 14 14 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ 1 2 2 3 4 ­ ­ 10 ­ ­ 16 Information in this guide is gathered from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to: The IB History Course Guide, Oxford’s IB Skills and Practice, IBOCC, and anecdotal experience. What is the History IA? The History IA is your chance to explore a period, theme, or event in history that you are interested in. For full IB Candidates, it also serves as 20% of your final History Grade. The final paper will be assessed by your teacher, with a sampling sent off to IB for score moderation. The History IA asks you to use the full range of skills you have been taught in class. In particular: ● knowledge and understanding ● application and interpretation ● synthesis and evaluation ● document analysis The structure of the IA is unlike any history paper you have ever written (and will most likely ever write again)...

Words: 14314 - Pages: 58

Premium Essay

Leadership Styles

...Leadership Styles Reviewing the past to prepare ourselves for leadership roles   Leadership is important because it is a critical part of our group dynamics. Even in the most democratic groups, someone must ultimately take the role of organizing or facilitating for the group. The role of the leader is present in every area of our life in some manner. Consider the leadership roles of teachers who instruct, managers who drive business, artists who inspire ideas, politicians who lobby to fulfill needs, entrepreneurs who bring a vision to life, and caretakers who provide supportive services. Each is affecting the lives of others by assuming a leadership role that brings benefit to them both. While most of us will find ourselves in a leadership role at some time in our life, simply being in a leadership role doesn’t make someone an effective leader. (Gordon, 1977) It is important to recognize different types of leadership styles and to how these styles fit to individual personality types. Three general types of outstanding, frequently traveled, paths are charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic. In order to be an effective leader, it is not necessary to radically change a personality style. (Ponder, 2005) It is much more beneficial to identify inherent tendencies and learn how to develop those traits into effective attributions. It would be beneficial to understand each of the formidable leadership styles and how to develop the style that comes intuitively. (Mumford, 2006) ...

Words: 2811 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Brain Drain

...stability and freedom, developed economy, better living conditions). In terms of individual reasons, there are family influences (overseas relatives, and personal preference: preference for exploring, ambition for an improved career, etc. Although the term originally referred to technology workers leaving a nation, the meaning has broadened into: "the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another, usually for better pay or living conditions". Brain drain is usually regarded as an economic cost, since emigrants usually take with them the fraction of value of their training sponsored by the government or other organizations. It is a parallel of capital flight, which refers to the same movement of financial capital. Brain drain is often associated with de-skilling of emigrants in their country of destination, while their country of emigration experiences the draining of skilled individuals. The term brain drain was coined by the Royal Society to describe the emigration of "scientists and technologists" to North America from post-war Europe. Another source indicates that this term was first used in the United Kingdom to describe the influx of Indian scientist and engineers. The converse phenomenon is "brain gain", which occurs when there is a large-scale immigration of technically qualified persons. There are also relevant phrases called "brain...

Words: 4283 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Contemporary Approach

...A Case Study Comparison of Charter and Traditional Schools in New Orleans Recovery School District: Selection Criteria and Service Provision for Students with Disabilities By Copyright 2008 Nikki L. Wolf B.S., Northwest Missouri State University, 1985 Submitted to the Department of Special Education and the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Dissertation Committee: _____________________________ Chairperson _____________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Dissertation defended: April 28, 2008 3336479 Copyright 2008 by Wolf, Nikki L. All rights reserved 2008 3336479 The Dissertation Committee for Nikki L. Wolf certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: A Case Study Comparison of Charter and Traditional Schools in New Orleans Recovery School District: Selection Criteria and Service Provision for Students with Disabilities __________________________ Chairperson Date approved _________________ ii ABSTRACT In post-Katrina New Orleans, there is a growing concentration of charter schools. The Recovery School District (RSD) has oversight for the majority of these schools. To explore charges from community advocates that RSD charter schools restricted admission and provided inadequate services for students with disabilities...

Words: 27801 - Pages: 112

Premium Essay

Case

...Chapter 9 Globalisation 135 Chapter 1 The Cold War Era OVERVIEW This chapter provides a backdrop to the entire book. The end of the Cold War is usually seen as the beginning of the contemporary era in world politics which is the subject matter of this book. It is, therefore, appropriate that we begin the story with a discussion of the Cold War. The chapter shows how the dominance of two superpowers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union, was central to the Cold War. It tracks the various arenas of the Cold War in different parts of the world. The chapter views the NonAligned Movement (NAM) as a challenge to the dominance of the two superpowers and describes the attempts by the non-aligned countries to establish a New International Economic Order (NIEO) as a means of attaining economic development and political independence. It concludes with an assessment of India’s role in NAM and asks how successful the policy of nonalignment has been in protecting India’s interests. The end of the Second World War led to the rise of two major centres of power. The two pictures above symbolise the victory of the US and the USSR in the Second World War. 1. American soldiers raising the US flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japan, on 23 February 1945 Credit: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, Photograph by Joe Rosenthal/The Associated Press 2. Soviet soldiers raising the USSR flag on the...

Words: 52386 - Pages: 210

Free Essay

Asdasdasd

...COURSE STUDENT GUIDE TO CULTURAL AWARENESS INDEX LESSON TITLE PAGE 1 Philosophical Aspects of Culture SG- 3 C1 Native American Experience SG- 4 C2 White American Experience SG- 23 C3 Arab American Experience SG- 43 C4 Hispanic American Experience SG- 53 C5 Black American Experience SG- 76 C6 Asian American Experience SG-109 C7 Jewish American Experience SG-126 C8 Women in the Military SG-150 C9 Extremist Organizations/Gangs SG-167 STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING FAMILIARIZED WITH ALL CLASS MATERIAL PRIOR TO CLASS. INFORMATION PAPER ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCE Developed by Edwin J. Nichols, Ph.D. |Ethnic Groups/ |Axiology |Epistemology |Logic |Process | |World Views | | | | | |European |Member-Object |Cognitive |Dichotomous |Technology | |Euro-American |The highest value lies in the object |One knows through counting |Either/Or |All sets are repeatable and| | ...

Words: 63019 - Pages: 253