| “The
Fairest Island….”
Christopher
Columbus was the first European to step onto the shores
of Puerto Rico and Cuba, and he found the islands enchanting;
he called Cuba “the fairest island human eyes have
yet beheld.” The spell was broken within a few years,
however, as Spain began intensive colonization of the
islands, converting them first into military bases, then
into gold mines and vast plantations. The native islanders
were nearly wiped out by disease, overwork, and maltreatment,
and Spain soon began importing enslaved Africans to work
the fields and mines.
By
the 19th century, the islands had become economic powerhouses,
producing hugely profitable sugar, coffee, and tobacco
crops. But they were also political powder kegs, as their
inhabitants—the descendents of Spanish colonists,
free and enslaved Africans, and native islanders—fought
to free themselves from Spanish rule. By the end of the
century, the people of Cuba were on the verge of independence,
and Puerto Rico might have soon followed.
But
in 1898, the United States entered the islands and changed
their fate forever. War had broken out between the U.S.
and Spain, and by its end Spain’s colonies in the
Caribbean were under U.S. control. From that point on,
the destinies of the two islands diverged dramatically.
Puerto Rico would become a U.S. commonwealth, and its
people would become U.S. citizens in 1917. Cuba would
achieve independence in 1902, but by the end of the century
it would come to be defined by its hostile relations with
the U.S. and its allies.
In
the 20th century, these close but uncertain relationships
with the United States would come to affect each island
profoundly. They would also help shape two of the most
distinctive immigrant experiences in U.S. history.
For
a detailed overview of Puerto Rico at the turn of the
20th century, visit “In
Search of a National Identity: Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century
Puerto Rico.”
For
more about Cuba in the same period, visit “The
World of 1898: The Spanish-American War.”
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