History Lesson 19

Cuba y la Guerra Hispano-Estadounidense   –   Cuba and the Spanish-American War

Cuba is one of our nearest neighbors here in the United States, and yet because of events during the Cold War, they became, in a sense, our nearest enemies. For this reason it may be surprising to know how the United States helped to bring about the independence of this Caribbean nation.

Whenever a neighboring country is in turmoil, adjacent countries can become involved in a variety of ways. So it was with Cuba. American businesses did lots of trading with the island nation, and stood to lose a lot if the country fell apart.

Also, there were many Cubans already living in the United States 140 years ago when José Martí, exiled from his home, traveled around our country to promote Cuban independence.

As we will see, the results of the Spanish-American War impacted far more than just one island. Spain lost a number of key territories, and this defeat actually created a serious climate of doubt and unrest among the people of Spain, setting the stage for an extremely tumultuous century.

How to Use This Page:

1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.

2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.

3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.

4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to catch as much as you can.

Overview Timeline

Cuando las naciones de Centroamérica y Sudamérica luchaban para la independencia en los años de 1820 y 1830, Cuba estaba en el proceso de cambiar del tabaco al azúcar como su producto principal. Esto trajo muchas tecnologías y riquezas nuevas a la isla, y España prestó más atención a esta zona. Por eso, el deseo para la revolución contra España no era tan fuerte.

Pero 50 años más tarde, la opresión por parte de los españoles y el espíritu de independencia entre los cubanos produjeron la Guerra de los Diez Años. Desde 1868 hasta 1878 los rebeldes combatieron contra los españoles, pero fueron derrotados.

El líder más importante del movimiento de la independencia, José Martí, fue exiliado del país en 1871, a la edad de 17 años. Él era poeta, dramaturgo, periodista, filósofo y profesor, y viajaba mucho en Estados Unidos, apoyando la causa de la independencia cubana. Él organizó el transporte de armas y guerreros a Cuba, y en 1895 él regresó al país con más tropas. Él murió en la batalla, pero la rebelión continuó sin su héroe, el “apóstol de la independencia.”

Estados Unidos tenía muchos intereses económicos en la isla. El presidente McKinley no quería empezar una guerra, y trató de resolver la situación con España diplomáticamente. El pueblo estadounidense oía acerca de las atrocidades que España cometía contra los rebeldes, y los empresarios tenían miedo de la inestabilidad en la región. Por fin, una nave estadounidense, el USS Maine, explotó y hundió en el puerto de la Habana en 1898, y el presidente tuvo que declarar un bloqueo contra España. España respondió con una declaración de guerra.

La Guerra hispano-estadounidense duró tres meses, con una victoria decisiva para Estados Unidos. En el tratado de París, España cedió Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico y Filipinas a Estados Unidos por $20 millones de dólares. En 1902, Cuba recibió su independencia, pero Estados Unidos continuó a tener mucha influencia política en el país.

When the nations of Central America and South America were fighting for independence in the 1820’s and 30’s, Cuba was in the process of changing from tobacco to sugar as its main product. This brought many new technologies and wealth to the island, and Spain paid more attention to this region. For that reason, the desire for revolution against Spain wasn’t as strong.

But 50 years later, the oppression on the part of the Spanish and the spirit of independence among the Cubans produces the Ten Years War. From 1868 to 1878 the rebels fought against the Spanish, but they were defeated.

The most important leader of the independence movement, José Martí, was exiled from the country in 1871, at the age of 17. He was a poet, play-write, journalist, philosopher and teacher, and he traveled a lot to the United States, supporting the cause of Cuban independence. He organized the transport of weapons and fighters to Cuba, and in 1895 he returned to the country with more troops. He died in the battle, but the rebellion continued without it hero, the “apostle of independence.”

The United States had many economic interests on the island. President McKinley didn’t want to begin a war, and he tried to resolve the situation with Spain diplomatically. The American people heard about the atrocities that Spain was committing against the rebels, and business owners were afraid of the instability of the region. Finally, an American ship, the USS Maine, exploded and sank in the port of Havana in 1898, and the president had to declare a blockade against Spain. Spain responded with a declaration of war.

The Spanish-American War lasted three months, with a decisive victory for the United States. In the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines to the United States for $20 million dollars. In 1902, Cuba received its independence, but the United States continued to have a lot of influence in the country.

Preguntas Básicas

1. Why didn’t Cuba fight for independence as soon as the rest of Latin America?

2. How did José Martí contribute to Cuban Independence?

3. What were the results of the Spanish-American War?