in the Caribbean
. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana
is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba
is the second largest city. To the north of Cuba lies the United States and the Bahamas, Mexico
is to the west, the Cayman Islands
and Jamaica
are to the south, and Haiti
and the Dominican Republic
are to the southeast.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus
landed on and claimed the island now occupied by Cuba, for the Kingdom of Spain.
1539 Spain annexes Cuba.
1715 A Spanish treasure fleet of 10 ships under Admiral Ubilla leaves Havana, Cuba for Spain. Seven days later, 9 of them sink in a storm off the coast of Florida. A few centuries later, treasure is salvaged from these wrecks.
1829 {{HMS|Pickle}} captures the armed slave ship ''Voladora'' off the coast of Cuba.
1839 Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinqué take over the slave ship ''Amistad''.
1868 Carlos Céspedes issues the Grito de Yara from his plantation, La Demajagua, proclaiming Cuba's independence
1869 José Martí founds the Cuban Revolutionary Party.
1875 Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison and flees to Cuba, then Spain.
1898 Spanish-American War: The {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|6}} explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing more than 260. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
1898 Spanish-American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of Cuban ports and the {{USS|Nashville|PG-7|6}} captures a Spanish merchant ship.
1898 Spanish-American War: U.S. Marines land on the island of Cuba.
Warfare is a means and not an end. Warfare is a tool of revolutionaries. The important thing is the revolution. The important thing is the revolutionary cause, revolutionary ideas, revolutionary objectives, revolutionary sentiments, revolutionary virtues!