- Why was Cuba seen as a “crown jewel” of the Spanish empire in the Americas
- What led the United States to intervene in Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain? How might the U.S. government have acted differently?
- Assess the U.S. role in Cuban politics from the 1930s through the 1950s. What were the most significant changes, and what were the underlying continuities?
- To what extent did the Cuban Revolution emerge from social and political conditions on the island—and to what extent was it a singular creation of Fidel Castro?
- What was the original rationale for the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, and what explains its continuation to the present day?
- What are the principal achievements of the Cuban Revolution, and what are its most significant failures? Would Cuba be better off today if there had never been a revolution?
Modern Latin America
