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U.S. - Cuban Relations - The Turn of the Century
The Spanish American War is a mostly forgotten event but it goes a long way in explaining the current relationship between Cuba and the Unted Staes. The Guantanamo Bay U.S. Navel base remains in the news to this day. -
Spanish - American War and the U.S. Battleship Maine
In 1895 Cubans began to fight for their independence from Spain. In 1898 the United States sent the battleship Maine to Havana Harbor to protect U.S. citizens. On February 15, the Maine exploded and sank immediately and the Spanish were blamed. President McKinley ordered U.S. navel ships to block Cuba's ports. On April 23, 1898, Spain declared war on the United States. Two days later, America declared war on Spain. The war lasted about 3 months. Cuba won independence but U.S. soldiers stayed. -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendmant gave the U.S. control over Cuba. Passed by Congress, U.S. soldiers occupying Cuba would not leave until the Cubans incorporated the terms of the amendment into their new Constitution. The terms of the amendment allowed the United States "the right to intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty." It also permitted the United States to lease land for a navel base.
