Cuba was both an early and late colony of Spain in Latin America. Situated in The Caribbean Sea, it was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his original voyage in 1492. It was used as a base for later expeditions into North America and Mexico. When the rest of Spanish America gained independence in The Early 1800's, Cuba remained a Spanish colony.
Cuba also had many black slaves imported from Africa, making up about 40% of the population. Around the time of failed Cuban wars for independence, the slaves were freed in 1886, making Cuba the last country to have slaves in The New World other than Brazil where slavery ended two years later.
The United States had business interests in Cuba and used The Monroe Doctrine to protect them. When The USS Maine mysteriously blew up in Havana Harbor, The United States declared war on Spain which led to the independence of Cuba as well as gaining Puerto Rico, Guam, and The Philippines as American territories. President Theodore Roosevelt made The Roosevelt Corollary to The Monroe Doctrine in 1902 declaring that The United States would act as the policeman in Latin America which led to American intervention in Cuban affairs. The United States also held Guantanamo Bay as a naval base in Cuba which it continues to hold to this day.
Topic: Cuba (Read 977 times)