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History of Cuba

Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean, was part of the Spanish Empire until 1898 and gained independence in 1902.. 3 eras, 1607 to today.

Captaincy General of Cuba, 1607–1898 Draft, not yet reviewed

In 1607 Philip III created the Captaincy General of Cuba as part of larger plans to defend the Caribbean against foreign threats. Cuba became a sugar, coffee and tobacco exporting colony, and large numbers of slaves were imported into Cuba. Slavery in Cuba existed until being abolished in 1886. Cuba experienced three civil wars in thirty years: the Ten Years' War, the Little War and the War of Independence, which became the Spanish–American War.

Seat of power: Havana

Rulers

Republic of Cuba, 1902–1959 Draft, not yet reviewed

Cuba gained formal independence on 20 May 1902, as the Republic of Cuba. The Platt Amendment guaranteed the United States the right to intervene in Cuba and placed restrictions on Cuban foreign relations. A new constitution was adopted in 1940, which engineered radical progressive ideas, including the right to labor and health care. The era ended with the outbreak of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

Seat of power: Havana

Rulers

Republic of Cuba, 1959 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Batista's autocratic government was eventually overthrown in January 1959 by the 26th of July Movement, during the Cuban Revolution. The revolution established a communist government under Fidel Castro that remains to this day. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis is widely considered to be the closest the world has come to a nuclear war. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Cuba faced a severe economic downturn in the 1990s, known as the Special Period.

Seat of power: Havana

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.