2. The Cuban Anti-colonial Revolution

This chapter describes the economic structures of Spanish colonialism and the emergence of an anti-colonial revolution. The revolutionary war of independence of 1868–1878 failed to attain its goals, as a result of internal divisions. In the 1880s, José Martí was able to unify the revolution on the basis of the principles of independence from Spain and the creation of an inclusive republic, by all and for the good of all. He led the revolution in the launching of second revolutionary war in 1895, but the US intervention of 1898 prevented its triumph. Under US supervision, the Constitution of 1901 was “made in the USA.” In the first 20 years of the republic, US economic and ideological penetration increased significantly. A neocolonial republic was consolidated.