Jose Marti Research Paper

Cuban history, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have experienced colonial subjugation and imperial interference, is highlighted by tumultuous rebellions. Ever since the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who took up arms with his slaves to liberate Cuba from Spain’s colonial grasp, the existence of insurrectionists and adamant government opposition in Cuba has flourished. Social revolution and a strong will and practice of nationalism has indelibly characterized Cuban history. Nevertheless, the outcomes of particular movements and struggles for social justice have consistently frustrated revolutionary and radical leaders. Government regimes throughout

The Spanish-American War was considered short lived and relatively mild in terms of American casualties compared to the many wars that our nation has fought. However, it served as a historical marker that set the imperialistic momentum of our nation. It played a significant role in our nation’s strategic move towards acquiring trade routes and further strengthened our naval power. Throughout my research paper I will touch on what led to the Cuban revolution against Spain, America’s political climate at the time, and why our nation eventually decided to intervene and aid the Cubans in their fight for independence.

From April 15 to October 31 in 1980, over 125,000 Cuban migrants arrived in the United States. Family members from America ferried relatives and institutionalized Cubans from the Cuban port of Mariel, in what was soon coined the Mariel Boatlift. Mirta Ojito, one of these ‘Marielitos’, as they soon were termed, grew up to write “Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus”. In this text, the author provides a historic account of events leading up to the Mariel Boatlift, narratives from important figures surrounding the event, and a personal narrative describing the struggle of her family to gain freedom from the socialist dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Throughout the story of the years preceding the boatlift and the influence that living in Cuba held on her life, Ojito describes the positive and negative elements of the both the political climate and personal life on the communist island which led to her eventual emigration to the United States.

Consequently, because of the severe racial discrimination Afro-Cuban’s experienced in an existence where social upward mobility was frustrated by Spanish colonial biases, Afro-Cubans embraced the war for independence against Spain as an attempt to accomplish a social revolution.

13. What did the American victory in the Spanish-American War allow American business to accomplish in Cuba? What role did the US military occupation force play in the relationship between

Cubans have had a long history of migrating to the United States, often for political reasons. Many Cubans, particularly cigar manufacturers, came during the Ten Years' War (1868-1878) between Cuban nationals and the Spanish military. Yet the most significant Cuban migrations have occurred in the last 35 years. There have been at least four distinct waves of Cuban immigration to the United States since 1959. While many, perhaps most, of the earlier migrants were fleeing Cuba for political reasons, more recent migrants are more likely to have fled because of declining economic conditions at home.

During the Spanish-American War, more people were becoming Jingoist imperialists who wanted the US to assert its global dominance. Hoping to further US business interests and expand the Navy’s resources, American merchants, businessmen, and imperialists wanted to invest in Hawaii, Samoa, and especially Cuba. Jingoists wanted Cuba because of its

Rachel was born in Alabama. Her master, or owner told her she was born around 1850. She was never told her actual birthdate. She was first sold to a family in Alabama by the name of Columbus. They were poor and owned few slaves. It was a small cotton plantation with a big family so the slaves had to work extra hard. Rachel and the other female slaves lived in the stove room made of clay and grass. They raised plenty of different plants as well as cotton such as: Peas, greens, and potatoes.

In 1891 a boy named Rafael Trujillo was born by a middle aged family in San Cristobal on October 24, 1891. Another thing was that he was one of 11 children and was the third of them all. When he started growing up Trujillo wanted a job so what he decided to do was go and take a job as a Telephone Operator at the age of 16 years after attending a formal elementary school and a private middle school. So after he had his job for a little while Trujillo decided to forge a check from his family bank and because of that he lost his job and also was served time in jail. Also in 1916 Trujillo was known to be in a gang that had also supported him to his criminal ways and was part of the reason that he had forged the check in the first place. After

In the early months of 1898, fundamental events took place in fairly rapid succession that led up to the Spanish American War and in turn the Battle for San Juan Heights. Together, these events solidified U.S. public opinion towards the U.S. involvement in a war to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule. A war some saw as a necessity to end the appalling conditions on an island so close to the American mainland. Some American officials including the U.S. Consul-general in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee, believed that it was only a matter of time before Cuba would be annexed by United States. (The Spanish-American War: American Wars and the Media in Primary Document, W. Joseph Campbell 2005).

Juan Cortina was born in 1824, in Camargo, Tamaulipas Mexico. Racher and Politician, Juan Cortina is remembered in our history for him and his army, taking control of Brownsville. He along with others saw the US as a threat against their property as Anglos set up land net to his, so he organized a group, an army if you will to fight the First Cortina War”. Cortina backed off following negotiations with Mexican leaders, but he was commonly known for demanding rights of Tejanos and MExicans and demand anyone be punished that would violate the rights that he stated. Once the Texas Rangers got involved, there was tension between them all, this went on for years between them both and on December 1859; Rangers finally went after Cortinas army in

Jose Salinas, It is sad how so many people now a days use suicide as a way out of coping. I remember at the lowest point of my life that I wanted to use that as an exit from my hardships and the shameful world I was living in. As a matter of fact I was there at that point already. Had my nephew not walked in I would not be here today. When I saw the look in his eyes the fear the grippedd on to and the thought of his aunt no longer being a part of his life was then when I realized that this would be my easy way out but what about my family that I leave behind. The hut that I would leave them with the unanswered questions, my actions would be a rippled affect of hurting others would they then choose my way out? My struggle was

The battleship, USS Marine was stationed in Havana’s harbor to protect American interest in Cuba. An explosion destroyed the vessel on February 15, 1898. “A naval court of inquiry blamed the explosion on a mine, further inflaming public sentiment against Spain” (HIS104 U.S. History Since 1877 30-Jun-2008, OL20). Again, the press stirred up the public with stories and headlines of a Spanish conspiracy. American now demanded revenge for the deaths of 266 sailors (Faragher, J., 2008, Out of Many). President McKinley demanded that Spanish government end brutality of the Cuban people, engage in armistice, and promise the eventual independence of Cuba. Upon Spain’s refusal, McKinley asked for a declaration of war. (HIS104 U.S. History, Lecture, 30-Jun-2008, OL20). “In order to assure the world that it was fighting only for the good of Cuba and not for colonial gain, the US passed the Teller Amendment, which promised to make Cuba independent after the war was over” (SparkNotes: The Spanish American War, 1898-1901: Summary).

Around the late 1800s, Spain was having a hard time with preventing Cuban’s from fighting for their independence. The revolts led Spain to send over General Valeriano Weyler, to put a stop to the protests. Consequently, he had anyone suspected of supporting independence, removed from the general population, and sent to concentration camps. Newspaper publishers, William R. Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, gave the word out to the American people, with the use of a little Yellow journalism--journalism based upon sensationalism and crude exaggeration, in an attempt to create disgust towards the Spanish government's actions. The American people, with their moral beliefs, and pride in their military might, decided to put into action the long-dormant

Many Cubans at the time had been fleeing to Spain since it was the quickest and easiest way to extract family members who were targets of the communist regime. It was a huge risk leaving his family knowing that there would be a chance that he might never see my grandmother, mother, and four uncles ever again. Sadly, this is the cost our family paid. During the onset of the Cuban revolution, government officials began mandatory conscription of all males fifteen years of age to serve in the military. Due to this requirement my family was forced to leave my uncle Alejandro behind, left with nothing but the clothes he was wearing on his back. He was quickly sent off to the training camps where he was forced to do things that were not in the nature of a fifteen-year-old boy. As a child, I grew up hearing these somber stories of my uncle’s struggle to escape Cuba to reunite our family, and how the burden laid heavily on my family that he was left