Download READING TWO: THE CUBAN REVOLUTION

Reading Two: The Cuban Revolution
Trouble Brewing in Cuba:
One of the areas in which the expansionist United States became increasingly involved was Cuba, an
island only 90 miles off the southern tip of Florida. This involvement brought the United States into
potential conflict with Spain. From 1868 the Cuban people had struggle for independence from
Spain. Slavery in Cuba had been abolished but Spain denied Cubans their independence and ruled
repressively on the island.
U.S. Interest in Cuba:
Some Americans identified the Cubans’ plight with their own fight for independence from England.
Others had begun to see Cuba, geographically, as a natural extension of U.S. territory. And Cuba’s
productive sugar plantations attracted the attention of those interested in its economic potential. The
U.S. connection to Cuba was strengthened when Cuban expatriate Jose Marti gathered arms, money,
and men in New York to fight Spanish rule. When in 1894 the United States imposed a tariff on
sugar, a commodity that had previously entered the United States duty-free, and arranged a
reciprocity agreement with Spain, sugar prices fell and the Cuban economy was thrust into chaos.
From Expansionism to Imperialism:
The growing desire for new economic markets spurred on U.S. expansionism, which in turn raised
the notion of an American empire. It became increasingly clear that investing in and trading with
foreign markets would reap profits for the United States. Captain Alfred T. Mahan, a scholarly naval
officer believed that to be strong in the modern world, the United States must sell its products to a
global market. He argued that to secure and protect these foreign interests, the nation needed an
improved, enlarged, and powerful navy. In turn, a navy would require colonies for overseas naval
bases. He put all of these ideas into his book, The Influence of Sea Power on History. It was widely read
and furthered expansionist appeal, supported imperialism, and propelled the modernization of the
U.S. Navy, which began in 1883.
The Revolution Begins:
The following year, Marti launched a revolution from the United States. Driven to desperation,
Cuban rebels thought that if they did enough damage, Spain might leave Cuba. A fierce and
destructive war was the result. Marti’s followers in Cuba burned sugar fields, destroyed mills, and
fought Spanish soldiers throughout the island. Spanish troops, under the command of Valerano
“Butcher” Weyler, forced hundreds of thousands of Cubans into “reconcentration” towns and camps
to separate them from the Cuban freedom fighters. Horrifying conditions existed in the camps where
hunger, starvation, and diseases led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Cubans, up to one quarter
of the island’s population. As the death count grew, Cuba’s economy fell apart and its countryside
was destroyed.
Americans Keep Watch:
As the war continued, Americans kept a close eye on the struggle. With investments in plantations,
and sugar refineries nearing $50 million, and Cuban exports to the United States plummeting,
American concerns rose. Furthermore, as stories of the horrific conditions of the reconcentration
camps came to light, and were to some extent, sensationalized, in the American press, Americans
began to side with the Cubans and grow angry toward Spain.
McKinley Wants to Avoid War:
Meanwhile, Americans elected William McKinley as president in 1896. Riding to office on the
Republican platform, which included claims to Hawaii and the Virgin Islands, as well as a call for
Cuban independence, McKinley sought to avoid war with Spain. When a new government came to
power in Spain in 1898, McKinley and the American populace were encouraged by proposed reforms
in the reconcentration policy and the promise of some autonomy for Cuba.
War Becomes More Likely:
Even though Spain promised reforms throughout Cuba, conditions actually got worse. The Spanish
government resented increased U.S. involvement with Cuba. In February of 1898, American
newspapers published a letter written by Senor Don Enrique Dupoy de Lome, the Spanish
Ambassador to the United States. He was writing to Don Jose Canelejas, the Foreign Minister to
Spain. In the letter, de Lome called McKinley weak, lazy, and incompetent. He wrote that the United
States had no reason to have continued involvement with Cuba. When William Randolph Hearst got
the letter in his possession, he published it in his newspaper calling it the de Lome letter. Americans
were outraged at the way their President was portrayed and increased their calls to Washington for
war.