How Literature, Specifically That of Jose Marti, Sparked a Revolution in Cuba in the 1800’s The last Spanish colony in the Americas, Cuba launched a second war for independence in 1895, more than half a century after the establishment of independent republics in the rest of Spanish America. However, the intellectual war against Spanish domination began earlier, before the first failed revolution of 1868-78. In particular, many nineteenth-century Cuban intellectuals, including Cuba’s ‘apostle’ Jose Marti, believed that the Catholic education of the colonial period, available only to elite men, operated as a means of suppressing national liberation by preaching loyalty to crown and church. Cuba Libre or Free Cuba, they argued, the independent and democratic nation for which so many Cubans fought and died, could not be successfully established without the foundation of a system of free, universal, secular public education. Martis arguments as journalist influenced the outlook of society significantly. Cubas first revolution began in the fall of 1868 when a group of wealthy landowners started a revolt against the Spanish rule they were presently under. On October 10th these men gathered at the ranch of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, who declared the independence of Cuba and set his slaves free.
Various battles followed between the rebels and the Spaniards, as Cubans throughout the country joined together to fight for freedom. The war eventually ended with the arrival of a new Spanish governor, General Arsenio Martinez Campos, who offered many of the reforms Cubans had been fighting for. In 1878 the Peace of Zanjon was signed. Despite this act of peace, Cubas struggles were not at an end; in 1879 rebels organized yet another uprising. However, because the harsh conditions had eased, the rebels found little support for their cause and were forced to remain relatively quite for the next ten years. (Ramos, 91) After a period of peace, trouble began once again when in 1891 Romero Robledo was made Minister of Colonies in Spain. From his position he passed a number of unfavorable measures against the Cubans which made them eager for independence. At this time Jose Marti was organizing a War of Independence in the United States.
The Term Paper on The Accidental Crusade The Spanish American War part 1
The accidental crusade: The Spanish American War The Spanish-American War was brief, but it became the beginning of the American overseas empire, formal and informal. For Several centuries Spain remained the World's empire and its colonies were spread worldwide. But by the end of the nineteenth century only few Spanish possessions remained in the Pacific, Africa and West India. Most part of the ...
After gathering support, Marti and his followers traveled to Cuba in the spring of 1895. Here they met up with other revolutionaries. From the beginning, Marti insisted on personally fighting with the other more experienced rebels of Cuba. This idea, in the end, cost him his life as he was shot and killed in May 1895. His death actually helped the revolution as he became a symbol to others. From then on there was no stopping the revolution(Vasquez) The following three years were marked by many battles with heavy loses on both sides.
Although the Spanish sent many back up units, the war was in the hands of the Cubans; until American influence changed everything. Historically, Cuba had an island conomy that was undrdvlopd long ago to b part of th dpndnt priphry in th world conomic systm. As a rsult Cuba has not bn abl to dvlop an intgratd national conomy that could giv it th matrial basis for indpndnc. This dpndncy fuld a qust for national indpndnc that has lastd for wll ovr a cntury. (Ramos, 101) Th Cuban Rvolution and its socialist turn rprsntd th culmination of this struggl for national indpndnc and dignity. Cuba was th most highly no-colonizd country to hav a rvolution in th twntith cntury. Thrin lis its historical importanc. It was prcisly bcaus Cuba was a no-colony — a virtual U.S. plantationthat it had a socialist rvolution.
Th only way it could achiv political indpndnc and conomic dvlopmnt was by braking away from th capitalist world markt. Cuba’s struggle for national independence started in 1860’s when Carlos Manuel de Cespedes freed his slaves and led them into Cuba’s first decade-long war for independence from Spain (the “Ten Year’s War” 1868-1878).
The Essay on Latin American Independance Independence Spain Hidalgo
Latin American Independence Latin American Independence was the drive for independence from Spain and France by the Latin American people. There were many contributing factors that ultimately led to the uprising of Latin American colonies. Europe's strong hold on the economic and political life of Latin America, was creating friction between the Latin Colonies and the European nations. Eventually, ...
Cuba has been struggling for its independence ever since. Cuba’s second war for independence (1895-1898) was inspired by Jose Marti and led until his death in 1895 by him and the Dominican General Maximo Gomez and the Afro-Cuban General Antonio Maceo. This time Cuba was defeating Spain only to have independence snatched from it by the US intervention in 1898thus beginning another sordid chapter in the history of imperialism. There should not have been an intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. Jose Marti, a rebel leader, destroyed many American owned sugar mills and plantations.
He tried to get the U.S. involved but that did not change our opinion of stay neutral yet. Spain retaliated to this rebellion and sent General Weyler to Cuba, who set up concentration camps in rebellious areas. News escaped in forms of yellow journalism to thew U.S. This rallied many Americans to want intervention. McKinley uses diplomatic means to reduce restrictions on Cuba and it works.
General Weyler is then removed. A letter is stolen from the Spanish minister and is sent to President McKinley, whom is called weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd. American resentment turned into outrage. The USS Maine is sent to protect Americans, but Spain destroys it. Congress agrees to deploy for war. None of this would have happened if the U.S. kept to themselves. The U.S.
was able to put a military base in Cuba as a result of helping them defeat Spain. Th ky figur in th organization of th 1895 rbllion was Jos Marti. Born in Cuba, and arrstd in 1869 at th ag of 16 for subvrsiv blifs in Cuban indpndnc, h ddicatd his lif to th indpndnc of Cuba. H organizd Cuban migr groups in th Unitd Stats and raisd mony for th caus from workrs from th Florida Kys to Nw York. H mldd th various rbl factions into on cohsiv group that could lgitimatly challng Spain for control of th island. (Rotker, 43) H also dfind th caus and brought it to a lvl abov mr indpndnc for th country. As h wrot to Maximo Gomz (who bcam chif of th rvolutionary forcs in 1895), h had a dtrmination not to contribut on iotathrough blind lov of an ida affcting my ntir lifto bringing my country a govrnmnt of prsonal dspotism mor shamful and rgrttabl than th political dspotism it now ndurs. Jos Marti, calld th Apostl of Cuba’s frdom, was killd in a skirmish soon aftr th war h had workd so long to bring about had bgun.
The Essay on Revolutionary War between the American colonies
In 1777, there was a huge turning in the Revolutionary War between the American colonies and Great Britain. After long months of sporadic American wins, the Continental Army delivered a stunning blow to the British army by defeating them at the battle of Saratoga. This crucial win allowed the French, who had been watching the war unfold with keen interest, to finally decide to aid the Americans in ...
Insofar as Marti blivd that frdom and justic should b th cornrstons of any govrnmnt, on has only to rad his work and larn of th struggl that h took up frly. H could nvr accpt th curtailmnt of th natural xpansivnss of th human spirit, for truly h blivd that man’s rdmption would com through lov and unfttrd rason. Thrfor, his doctrins ar, and must b, at odds with th totalitarian dogma that has xistd in Cuba sinc its unfortunat dmis. (Rotker, 72) All of Marti’s tachings contradict that political systm which nvr fails to dmonstrat its intolranc towards individual frdom and it’s lov of its own matrialistic mpowrmnt. His writings condmn all dspotic rgims and th abridgmnt of human rights. Furthrmor, h gos on to dnounc th lack of spirituality and typ of arroganc that w find in th currnt dictatorship. For this rason, th publication of Marti’s thoughts, in all its forc, is of th gratst importanc today. His blifs, which can guid dmocracis and if hdd, offr thm gratr scurity, spak mor loquntly against th Cuban apostasy than all th accusations that othrs might mak.
Many of the wealthiest Creoles bourgeoisie favored reform, but not necessary a revolution. Jose Marti was the first man to define exactly what the independence movement should be fighting for, not just self-rule but democracy and social justice. He advocated racial equality. He founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party (PRC).
Americans brought property in Cuba at bargain prices since the Ten Years War left the Cuban Planters poor. They soon dominated the sugar industry, and by 1895 more than 90% of Cuba’s sugar went to the U.S. The USA declared war on Spain in 1898 and won and on December 10, 1898 the Treaty of Paris was signed behind the backs of the islanders and transferred power of Cuba to the United States. Washington allowed the Cubans to elect their own government. On May 20 1902 Cuba was declare a Republic and had their first president.
The Essay on United States War Power Spanish
Spanish-American War The Spanish-American War was different from many other wars because it did not deal with America's rights; nevertheless it dealt with our issues over expansionism. The war was caused by yellow journalism, sinking of the main, and the de Lome letter in which he discussed his bad faith with America. The Spanish-American War was a "splendid little war" because it demonstrated the ...
Ada Ferrer presented a fascinating account of the Cuban revolution in her book Insurgent Cuba: Race, Nation, and Revolution, 1868-1898. This author’s account of the Cuban struggle for independence makes important contributions to two divergent historiographies. To U.S. historiographies of the Spanish-American war, which tilt analysis towards the final phase of North American intervention, Ada Ferrer adds the counterweight of Cuban actors struggling for 30 years over the nature of their relationship to the Spanish regime. At the same time, by noting the conflicts and tensions within the Cuban independence movement, she complicates Whiggish Cuban historiographic tendencies that assume unity and foreordained victory. If both Cuban and U.S.
historians tend to underplay the issue of internal tensions and divisions within the revolutionary movement, Ferrer places them at the center of her narrative. An early crisis and Spanish victory emerge from her account as the results of a fragmented insurgency rather than from superior Spanish military strength. Thus, the disunity between a white, elite Cuban faction that was quick to surrender and a more persistent faction, composed mostly of former slaves, resulted in an early defeat. By tracing these rifts and setbacks, Ferrer underscores the protracted, uneven progress of a war–the outcome of which was never predetermined. Indeed, after the first 10-year episode of war, it looked as if Spain had managed to quell the rebellion and retain its hold on its last colony. But, it was in this interlude of ….
