The Cuban Revolution: A Fragmented Society

A Fragmented Society

After its independence from Spain Cuba suffered from a more political instability and had gone through many changes from reformist, revolutionary and dictatorship governments. The conditions for the 1959 revolution had always been present however what let to this revolution and truly changed the forms of government in Cuba was to recognized these conditions and change them. The conditions that led to the revolution in 1959 were Cuba’s economic dependence on the United States that led to the anti-American sentiment, the divided and fragmented Cuban society that led to political corruption. Cuba’s anti-American sentiment begin when the United States forces occupied Cuba right after its independence from Spain and passed

The United States had invested in Cuba slowly since Spain was still ruling Cuban. During the 1920’s Cuba platters were left in debt due to the collapsed of the price of the sugar during the 1920’s. However as years past the same investment in Cuba by the US became a billion dollar business. The majority of Cuban exports went to America during 1950s and by that time the United States had almost absolute controlled of the transportation, electricity, banks etc. of Cuba. This economic control took a tool on Cuba. It is also important to mention the significance of “western invasion” in 1895 because politically, United states had a heavy influence on what a civilization nation is (White), as such, political leaders set boundaries to prevent Afro Cuban mobility within political rhetoric to allow Cuba to be autonomous in the eyes of the United States. Socially, the United States presence created tension among Cuban Americans. One was the socially mobility of rural workers from their countryside to urban cities. Because the United States owned 60 percent of land, which most was used for Hershey and the Fruit Company. Work became scarce forcing rural working to seek jobs within the cities. Economically, the U.S held economic power for foreign trade and the ability to fluctuate the sugar prices. As such, the great depression was a perfect example that left the country in economic ruin. One of the advantages

By 1933, Cuba was in chaos, and US support for Machado was wavering. The ABC, a secret society of intellectuals willing to oppose Machado through terrorism and sabotage. The name ABC was not an acronym for anything but instead stood for the notion that what needed to done was basic and obvious. In addition to opposing Machado the ABC called for fundamental change in Cuban society and its economy for the furtherance of social justice. These included the elimination of large land holdings, public ownership of public services and the promotion of cooperatives. The ABC sought to prohibit the acquisition of Cuban land by American interests. However, sugar collapse of 1920 and Cubanidad needed to be re-interpreted cubanidad. The US had had notions of race and advancement in Cuba, and it was obligatory on cubanidad to help create a politically stable, culturally homogenous, and prosperous modern nation (Race and Social Warfare p. 189). Education was also a huge class division within Cuba. Black Cubans explained that the lack of education was the result of slavery and colonialism. Afro-Cubans treated schooling as sacred and campaigned to improve their education. However even an education was not sufficient for afro-Cubans to get white-collar employment, they needed social and political contacts to help them. There was a class and race fragmentation in