Notes

By the late 1800s, Spain had lost all of its American colonies, except Cuba and Puerto Rico. In the mid-1800s, Cuban leaders demanded independence. They protested against the corruption of the Spanish colonial government. They also wanted political representation in the Spanish parliament and lower taxes.

In 1868, Cuban revolutionaries began the Ten Years' War against Spain in an attempt to gain independence. The Spanish government put down the rebellion, and more than 200,000 lives were lost in the struggle.

The government also exiled many Spanish independence leaders. Among these exiled leaders was José Martí. Martí, a Cuban poet, worked for Cuban independence while in New York City. Although Martí and his fellow leaders were exiled, the desire for independence was not lost.

In 1894, the Spanish government canceled a trade pact between the United States and Cuba, which outraged Cubans. The following year, Spain raised taxes and passed new trade restrictions. Cuban rebels assembled an army and launched a renewed Cuban War for Independence. Martí urged invaders to launch more revolts against the government.

In 1895, Martí and a group of rebels launched a revolt. Months later, Martí died a martyr during the Cuban fight for independence. Martí's death was not in vain. Because of his efforts and the efforts of other leaders, the revolutionary army made some early gains. It took over the eastern part of the island and named it the Republic of Cuba. By 1896, rebels controlled most of the island.

To fight the revolutionaries, the Spanish army instituted a new program, called "reconcentration." The Spanish army forced Cubans out of their villages and into camps called "reconcentrados." In doing so, the Spanish believed they would deny the rebels popular support, food, and supplies. Tens of thousands of Cubans died from starvation and disease in what are called concentration camps today.

By 1898, the Spanish government had offered Cuba the option of partial self-government. It had also closed the concentration camps. However, Cubans still demanded complete independence. Those demands found support in the United States.