Focus Question:  When did countries in the Caribbean and in Central America became independent nations and how independence was achieved?

The Boston Globe, May 28, 1898 cartoon shows Uncle Sam seated in restaurant looking at the bill of fare containing "Cuba steak," "Porto Rico pig," the "Philippine Islands" and the "Sandwich Islands" (Hawaii) with President William McKinley saying to the waiter: "Well, I hardly know which to take first!"

Overview of Central American/Caribbean Independence

• Click here for a "Crash Course" on Latin American Revolutions
• Click here for an overview of the Spanish-American War, which effected Puerto Rican and Cuban independence.
• Click here for another overview of the Spanish-American War

Mexico

Explore wiki page on The Mexican Revolution 

Cuba

For more on nationalist movements and Fidel Castro, see World History II.38

History of U.S. Diplomacy with Cuba, 1898 to 2015 from U.S. Department of State

Fidel Castro, Cuban Revolutionary Who Defies U.S. Dies at 90 (November 25, 2016)


Brief Timeline of Cuban History from Michigan State University.

See also The Economic History and Economy of Cuba from the Department of Economics, San Jose State University

Fidel Castro, 1959

1895: Cuban War for Independence from PBS.

For a brief overview, see Spanish-American War for Cuba's Independence from the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, University of South Florida.

Jose Marti

Republic of Cuba History Archive from Marxists.org

See also

• Cuba in 1898 from the Library of Congress.
• The Struggle for Cuban Independence from Miami Dade Public Schools.
• The Cuban Revolution of 1959 from the Cold War Museum

Click here for a biography of Jose Marti

Click here for a look at the USA's perspective during the fight for Cuban Independence

Click here for a podcast of Cuban Independence

Dramatic Event Page on The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962

Cuba's New Now, National Geographic (August 2015)

Haiti

Link to dramatic event page on Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution

Click here for a history of Haitian Independence

Click here for a timeline of Haiti's history


Click here for the first part (4 parts total) of an essay on Haitian Independence

In return for its independence, France required Haiti to pay restitution for lost slaves and property. In today's money, the total debt was about 21 billion dollars. After the earthquake in 2010, France was urged to repay this money to help with rebuilding, but denied this request.

Click here for the biography of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first emperor of Haiti

Click here for a video on Haitian Independence and the years following

Puerto Rico

Click here for a full history of Puerto Rico

Click here for a history of Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War

Click here for a list of reasons why Puerto Rico is currently not an independent country

Link here for a timeline on Puerto Rico from PBS

Link here for a timeline of Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War

The Insular Cases

The Strange Case of Puerto Rico, Slate (October 9, 2017)

• In a series of decisions called the Insular Cases, the Court ruled that "unincorporated" territories like Puerto Rico did not have the full protections of the Constitution