Us Intervention in Cuba

During the 1800s, Cuba was still under Spanish rule even though other Spanish colonies in the Americas had already gained their independence. A number of groups in Cuba were getting ready to fight for their independence. In 1812, a group of slaves, headed by José Antonio Aponte, planned a revolt. The Spanish government then heard of this plan to revolt and without hesitation, hanged Aponte and his followers before they had a chance to execute their plan.

In the mid-1800s US citizens in Cuba supported an annex movement for Cuba and the US to join; it also received much support from Cuban and American shareholders. The struggle against the Spanish was not abolished until 1886, eight years after signing a treaty called the Pact Zanjón.

Even then, the country was not independent. In the year of 1895, José Marti, a Cuban liberal had organized the Cuban Revolutionary Party alongside a mulatto general, Maceo. During that year, José Marti and his group launched a war for the independence of the country. At the time, the United States president, President William McKinley, had claimed that fighting would threaten American interests.

Before the full intervention in Cuba, Spain’s power over the island grew weaker and weaker because of the activities of US businessmen. They, the US businessmen, bought plantations and factories for the production of Cuban sugar and tobacco. Ninety-four per cent (94%) of Cuba’s export went to the US and the other six per cent (6%) to Spain.

Other than plantations being an investment for the US businessmen, railways and harbours were investments too. High tariffs were placed on cured and refined tobacco and cotton by the US and in 1894, high tariffs were also placed on raw sugar imports. US businessmen made Cubans believe that if Cuba was no longer a Spanish colony then all the tariffs would be lowered.

In the 1895 war of independence, American land and businesses were being ruined so they had called upon their government to help a quick rebel victory. Army and navy commanders pointed out that US defences would be stronger if Cuba was under US influence. President McKinley sent the warship Maine to Havana to protect the lives of Americans in Cuba on February 15, 1898. On that same day, the ship exploded mysteriously. Some historians say that an underwater bomb had blown up the warship. Nevertheless over 200 US lives were lost.

Immediately after the explosion, Americans were quick to blame the Spanish. This lead to a war in April of 1898 and was known as the Spanish-American War. The war fought in 1895 to 1898 in Cuba was called the Spanish-Cuban-American War. This war gave the US full intervention in the country’s affairs. The Spanish army in Cuba surrendered in July 1898 which was three (3) months after the Spanish-American war had begun.

On December 10 1898, Spain signed the Treaty of Paris which made Spain give up all rights