Chapter 5. Cuba: Key Colony, Socialist State

1856 - Map of Cuba from "The Island of Cuba" by Alexander von Humboldt

1856 – Map of Cuba from “The Island of Cuba” by Alexander von Humboldt

  1. Timeline for Cuba, 1492-Present 
  2. List of Cuban Heads of State
  3. Cuban Profiles and Personalities:
    1. Antonio Maceo
    2. José Martí
    3. Máximo Gomez
    4. Gerardo Machado
    5. Fulgencio Batista
    6. Che Guevara
    7. Fidel Castro
    8. Raúl Castro
  4. Moments and Events in Cuban History:
    1. Essay #8: “From Haciendas to the Pearl of the Antilles: Cuba’s Colonial Rise to Economic Prosperity,” by Ben Vila
    2. Essay #9: “The Castro Touch,” by Jennie Mazzucco
    3. Essay #10: “Radio Wars: Havana and Miami,” by Julia Longoria
  5. Travels in Cuba:
    1. Travelogue #8: Alexander Von Humboldt. The Island of Cuba  (1850)
      1. Accompanying Analysis: “Humboldt’s Cuba,” by Ben Vila
    2. Travelogue #9: William Archer. Through Afro-America (1856)
      1. Accompanying Analysis: “Race Relations in Post-Independence Cuba,”  by Mika Zachs
  6. Primary Documents:
    1. Document #13: “Montecristi Manifesto,” José Martí and Máximo Gómez (1895)
    2. Document #14: “My Race,” José Martí (1893)
    3. Document #15: “History Will Absolve Me,” Fidel Castro (1953)
    4. Document #16: “Statement from Mexico City,” Juana Castro (1964)
    5. Document #17: “What is Cuba’s Sin?,” Fidel Castro (2003)
  7. Discussion Questions
  8. Further Reading
  9. Supplement: Elements of Caribbean History