AW: [DL] The Carribean

["Markus Finster" <markus.finster@chello.at>]

> > South America has some Republics - I don't know how
> > secure they are and the Empire of Brazil -
> > historically the last American slave holding state.
>
> Thanks. Can someone tell me, historically at least,
> who held dominion over Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto
> Rico? I'm positive Haiti was either independent or a
> Spanish colony, and I'd say Cuba was Spanish, but I
> don't know.
>
> Can anyone help?

Maybe I can:

Cuba:
They fought a 10-year-long war for Independence from 1868 to 1878 against
Spain.
The Cubans lost. Dissatisfied with the corrupt and inefficient Spanish
administration, lack of political representation, and high taxes, Cubans in
the eastern provinces united under the wealthy planter Carlos Manuel de
Cespedes, whose declaration of independence in October 1868 (El Grito de
Yara, "The Cry of Yara") signaled the beginning of the Ten Years' War, in
which 200,000 lives were lost. Cespedes had the support of landowners, whose
main interest was economic and political independence from Spain, whereas
the farmers and labourers were more concerned with the immediate abolition
of slavery and greater political power for the common man.

In 1876 Spain sent General Arsenio Martinez Campos to crush the revolution.
Lacking organization and significant outside support, the rebels agreed to
an armistice in February 1878 (Pact of Zanjon), the terms of which promised
amnesty and political reform. A second uprising (La Guerra Chiquita, "The
Little War"), engineered by Calixto Garcia, began in August 1879 but was
quelled by superior Spanish forces in autumn 1880. Spain gave Cuba
representation in the Cortes (parliament) and abolished slavery in 1886.
Other promised reforms, however, never materialized.

Hispaniola:
The Spanish Hispaniola is today's (and 1870ies) Haiti and the Dominican
Republic.
In 1865 the Dominicans won the Restoration War against Spain and gained
their independence (again.)
Haiti was a Republic since the Mullatoes Revolt (against the black Haitian
Emperor Faustin I.)
There was a series of Insurrections and Revolts (with one in 1876), with
blacks uprising against mullatoes and vice versa (wohever was in charge
then).
Haiti and the DR were bitter enemies prior to 1860, with more than a few
failed invasions of Haiti in the DR.

Puerto Rico:
In 1873 the Spanish monarch in Purto Rico was replaced with a republican
government (after 5 years of revolting).
Slavery is abolished the same year (still by the Spanish).

That's all I found in the hurry.

Hope that helps,
Markus