HIstory Of Cuba

By dodubiyi
  • Oct 28, 1492

    Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba and claims it as Spanish territory.

  • Jan 1, 1511

    Spanish conquest commences. Diego de Velazquez founds Baracoa and other Spanish settlements.

  • Jan 1, 1526

    Beginning of the slave trade from Africa

  • Lord Albemarle and Admiral Sir George Pocock of the British Royal Navy briefly capture Havana.

  • The Treaty of Paris returns Cuba to Spain

  • Period: to

    : War of independence lasts for ten years between Cuban colonials wanting independence from what they see as unjust rule from Spain. The War ends in a treaty and promise of greater autonomy for Cuba.

  • Period: to

    : Second war of independence led by Cuban nationalist Jose Marti. United States declares war on Spain

  • Spain relinquishes all claims to Cuba after military defeat by the United States.

  • Cuba swears in its first independent president Tomas Estrada Palma. Cuba is still officially under US protection.

  • Period: to

    Cuban President Tomas Estrada resigns and the United States invades and occupies Cuba after a rebellion led by Jose Miguel Gomez.

  • US forces invade Cuba again to assist in suppressing protests against racial discrimination suffered by black Cubans.

  • Gerado Machado becomes dictator of Cuba. Cuba develops in agriculture and mining under his rul

  • Machado overthrown in a coup led by Sergeant Fulgencio Batista.

  • General Batista seizes power of Cuba and oversees a corrupt government in which dissent is brutally suppressed.

  • Revolutionary Fidel Castro leads a thwarted revolt against the Batista government

  • Fidel Castro begins a guerrilla war from his base in the Sierra Maestra in Eastern Cuba.

  • The US stops military aid to General Batista

  • Castro leads guerrilla army of 9000 into Havana, forcing Batista to leave Cuba. Castro becomes prime minister.

  • All US owned businesses in Cuba are nationalised.

  • A new socialist constitution is approved by the communist party and Fidel Castro is elected president.

  • More than 100,000 Cubans flee to the US.

  • An international incident is sparked when Cuban child Elian Gonzalez is picked up off the Florida coast after the boat in which his mother had tried to escape to the US capsized. Cuban exiles in Miami begin a campaign to prevent Elian from returning to hi

  • Elian returns to Cuba after prolonged court proceedings.