Cuba is an island full of bold art, inspiring music and cities that still possess a colonial charm. The largest island in the Caribbean makes up this country along with smaller islands that lie off the coast of the main island, such as La Isla de Juventud, which also serves as part of Cuban soil. Cuba is a long and narrow island. It stretches 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from east to west, but is only 60 miles (100 kilometers) wide in most places. Cuba's physical geography is predominantly flat and rolling, with rugged hills and mountain ranges such as La Sierra Maestra, La Cordillera Guaniguanico, and La Sierra de Escambray. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The country in its entirety has a surface area of ​​44,200 miles, making it a total area slightly smaller than Pennsylvania. Before centuries of foreign occupation by colonial powers, the island was inhabited by the Arawak people. The different groups of tribes that comprised the island carried out the traditional activities of fishermen and hunters as well as introducing agriculture to the island. Their main products included peanuts, yucca, squash, corn, beans, and tobacco. Tobacco was also used for medicinal, ceremonial, and recreational activities among the Guanahatabey, Taíno, and Ciboney. In the year 1492 Christopher Columbus landed on the island with three ships and a large crew. Columbus was on his way to discover the "New World". King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who was serving as the Spanish monarchy at the time, had agreed to sponsor his trip. The native population was called Indians because Columbus thought he had landed in India. The native population was also considered savage due to the lack of clothing, hunting and gathering techniques, and lack of advancements present on the European continent during that time period. As contact between the Arawaks and Europeans intensified, disease propagation began to spread with most of the native population dying from diseases brought from Europe. The spread of the disease, however, was not one-sided, as many members of the Columbus crew contracted diseases such as syphilis. As time passed, the influence of Spanish power continued to expand not only on the island but also throughout the Americas. The conquistadors were also responsible for the atrocities committed in the Mayan, Inca and Aztec civilizations. As Spanish conquest and colonization became more widespread, the Spanish imported tobacco into other countries to diversify and monetize the crop. Cuba soon became known throughout the world as the tobacco island because the crop had become the main export. Due to the fact that the vast majority of the native Arawak people had died due to the introduction of European diseases to which they had little or no immunity, this left the Spanish with a small number of slaves from which to exploit labor. As a result, the Spanish sought free labor from Africa. Approximately 12.5 million slaves were packed onto slave ships over a series of years and taken to Cuba to be exploited by Spanish authorities in order to continue the thriving tobacco industry. Towards the end of the 18th century, on the nearby island of Hispaniola, a revolution occurred between slaves and their masters. In the then French colony of Saint-Domingue, the number of slaves dramatically exceeded the number of white Frenchmen, as a result of this contrast, the slaves were able to successfully start a revolution to free themselves from the shackles of slavery along with the persistent rule of domainFrench in what is now the country of Haiti. Previously, these slaves were put to work in appalling conditions in the sugar industry. As a result of the slaves' new freedom, the sugar industry collapsed leaving Cuba to take over the opportunity to produce the crop in its arable, tropical lands. For this reason Cuba has become the new sugar capital of the Caribbean. As other Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas began to rebel against Spain's empirical colonization, coupled with knowledge of the slave revolutions that had occurred in the United States and Haiti, many slave owners feared a potential slave revolt in the country. With a combination of slavery and high sugar taxation imposed by the Spanish, many sugar planters, especially those in eastern Cuba, grew tired of the Spanish occupation. One of the most important and opinionated planters and landowners was Carlos Manuel de Céspedes. Céspedes and his group of collaborators were determined to overthrow the corrupt and excessive Spanish legislative control over Cuba. Upon learning that their conspiratorial activities had been discovered by the Spanish authorities, they were forced to act. On October 10, 1868, Céspedes expressed the historic Grito de Yara from his plantation, La Demajagua, proclaiming the independence of Cuba. He soon freed his slaves and incorporated them into his disorganized and poorly armed forces and made public a manifesto explaining the reasons for the revolt. Céspedes then continued to increase his numbers by allowing other slaves to join his movement, provided that these slaves were given permission to fight by their masters. This revolution led by Céspedes was the first of three wars of independence fought by Cuba against Spain. Céspede's actions agitated Spanish authorities in both Cuba and Spain. In response to Céspedes' call for war, the Spanish government sent thousands of soldiers to the Caribbean island to help defeat the poorly armed opposition movement. Many of Céspedes' men only had machetes. As more troops arrived from western Cuba and Spain, Spanish authorities divided the island laterally while maintaining the war in the eastern half of the island, leaving the capital and financial center unscathed. While battles and bloodshed began in the eastern part of the island, the population of the invaded communities often aided rebel causes for liberation. People accused of aiding the Spanish authorities were often executed immediately on the spot without due process by the liberation forces. Céspedes ultimately lost his life in the bloodshed of the fight for Cuban independence. After his death, Céspedes' followers lacked valuable leadership skills. This lack of premeditated authority caused the opposition to split into several small guerrilla groups that unfortunately began to lose strongholds in the rural eastern Cuban countryside which eventually lost them during the war. This loss left independence seekers crushed by the idea of ​​Cuba as an independent identity being shattered. In response to the Spanish victory in the war in Cuba, the Spanish government enacted a series of reforms and peace agreements to quell any further potential uprisings and conflicts. Many people felt that these agreements and reforms were insufficient and undermined any future liberation efforts. One of these people was José Martí. Martí was a Cuban political and literary figure and became famous for his call for Cuban independence in the 19th century along with talents in journalism and poetry. His eloquent nature and beliefsanti-Spanish colonization even had him sentenced to months of forced labor by the Spanish government. Martí was also a cultured man who traveled a lot. Throughout his career he is recognized for his diplomatic work, his teaching methods and the publication of countless pieces. During his time in the United States, Martí, accompanied by other Cuban exiles, saved money to return to his homeland and fight for the removal of the Spanish occupation. Back in Cuba, Martí's physical ability began to be questioned. Martí's brilliance as a planner and communicator was however undeniable, he did not have the physique nor the combative and bellicose nature of a soldier. Soon after his arrival in Cuba, he was assassinated by the Spanish on the battlefield without realizing his dream of a "Patria Libre". After Martí's death, the war still continued. Spain sent Valeriano Weyler, a high-ranking Spanish general, to the island to help extinguish anti-Spanish sentiment throughout the country. To do this, Weyler implemented his infamous policy of reconcentration. The goal of this policy was to herd people into the cities so that they could not clandestinely aid the rebellion in rural settings in the same way that rebel fighters were aided in the Ten Years' War led by Céspedes. When cities became overpopulated due to large numbers of people being displaced, Weyler implemented the construction of concentration camps. The conditions in these concentration camps were horrific and unsanitary. Over 400,000 people died due to the inhumane conditions in the camps. Despite the fact that myriads of people lost their lives, the atrocities committed by General Weyler in Cuba were widely publicized and sensationalized in US newspapers. This journalistic practice was known as "yellow journalism". This type of journalism described the guerrilla fighting for Cuba's independence in favor of the two parties involved. This type of journalism also attracted the attention of many Americans and the thought of a possible American intervention came to life. Initially, US President McKinley did not want to be dragged into a war. He called for Cuba to be freed from the constraints of Spanish imperialism. McKinley also stated that if the Spanish government did not obey his request, he would sell weapons to the guerrillas. On January 1, 1898, the USS Maine arrived in Havana Harbor to protect American property, interests, and citizens in an emergency. Three weeks later the boat exploded, killing more than 260 sailors and crew members who were on board. Initial reports placed the blame for the tragedy on the Spanish, while other sources placed the blame on the Cubans who wanted to liberate Spain from the territory. It was thought that the sinking of the USS Maine would lead to U.S. intervention, which would ultimately eliminate the effects of imperialism on the island. The loss of countless lives outraged Americans from coast to coast, and a declaration of war was declared against Spain soon after. The statement also stated that after the war Cuba will not be annexed by the United States but will be recognized as a sovereign nation. After the United States declared war, Spain sent a larger military force to the island territory. The United States also brought in more soldiers to fight. The United States even established a volunteer program run by Theodore Roosevelt known as the Rough Riders. Although there were many other cavalry units that fought against Spanish policies in Cuba, the Rough Riders were one of the most popular units due to its diverse membership, triumphant battle techniques, and.