Module #1: Cuba and the Revolution:
When Spain landed in Cuba they soon came to find a surplus of sugar cane. The Spanish then capitalized on this because of there was tons of money to make from selling sugar cane.
The united states saw an opportunity to create a bigger market in Cuba. With millions invested in infrastructure and business, it only made sense to protect Cuba from invaders and foreign beings like the Spanish.
The U.S. Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act increases tariffs on Cuban sugar and reduces its share of the U.S. sugar market. This resulted in worse economic conditions on the island during the Great Depression.
Eventually, Castro helped fight Batistas using the guerilla army he had built. His goal was to overthrow the government. While Casto was a huge force in Cuba, the Cubans had reason to believe in Castro's vision due to the unliveable social and political conditions at that time.
Later on, an embargo was placed on Cuba by U.S. sanctions due to political reasons. Today, most of these policies are still enforced.
In my opinion, the government and the ability to create political stability in Cuba was the biggest failure as other islands have done better. That being said, a lot of positives have come from the hardships. I think the culture was the biggest achievement because it has proved to last over centuries.
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ReplyDeleteGood point about how political instability was a key problem leading to the revolution. There were multiple changes in power from the 1930s to 1950s resulting in a lot of chaos and uncertainty.
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