Cuba: A Brief History

Historically Speaking Podcast

In October of 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea and christened it “Juana” in honor of Prince Don Juan, son of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. From there, Cuba would remain under Spanish rule for over 400 years. Eventually, the United States would help the Cuban people overthrow their colonial rulers just as America had done a century before. Thus began a long and contentious relationship between America and Cuba. Ironically, it was America who also assisted a young Cuban revolutionary named Fidel Castro to overthrow a corrupt government and set up his own government. That was 1959 and Castro would remain in power for over 50 years while surviving more than 600 assassination attempts and outlasting 11 American presidents. With his death in 2016 and the resignation of his brother, Raul, in April of 2021, there have been new rumblings in Cuba. Will the Cuban people finally demand freedom, or will they continue under Communist rule? Will America once again involve herself in Cuban affairs? It seems there is more Cuban history yet to be written.
BOOKS

• Cuba: A History by Hugh Thomas
• The History of Cuba by Clifford Staten
• Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Robert Kennedy
• Modern Times by Paul Johnson
• America: A Narrative History by George Tindall and David Shi

FILM

• Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War (2012) Documentary
• JFK: A President Betrayed (2013) Documentary with Morgan Freeman narrating
• Fidel (1971) Documentary
• The Fidel Castro Tapes (2014) Documentary