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     The land of Cuba was discovered by none other than Christopher Columbus. Columbus and his men discovered this land in October 1492. Cuba was now Spain’s steeping stone into the new land “America.” As the land was established and suitable for living conditions cattle, sugarcane and tobacco was the main source of economics.
 
     In 1511 Diego Velasquez was ordered by King Ferdinand to Conquer Cuba. Chief Hatuey of Hispaniola (to the west of Cuba) informed Cuban natives of how cruel the “white man” was. Natives to Cuba knowing of the cruelty of the “white man” did not allow them to have a pleasant arrival. When Velasquez arrived, he was hit with plenty of arrows.  One year later in 1512 chief Hatuey was captured and killed. Chief Hatuey stated, “If Christians go to heaven, I don’t want to go to heaven.”
 
     By 1515 Cuba had six settlements. There was little gold in Cuba, but the lands agriculture made up for it. Santiago de Cuba was Cuba’s first capital. In 1592 Havana was announced a city. And in 1607 it was confirmed Cuba’s new capital.
 
     Trade with other countries beside Spain was prohibited. All trading ships had to be a Spanish ship. Many ships were destroyed in the shallow reefs in the Florida Keys. Cuba was also, subject to attack by Europe. The English had captured Havana in 1762. Soon later for nearly ten months Havana was dominated by the English.
     The Native Indians of Cuba began to die out. African slaves worked the ranches and the plantations. Cuba was one of the last of Spanish colonies to gain independence with a fifty year battle which started in 1850.
     October 10, 1868 the Ten Year War begun. It ended ten years later in 1878. The Ten Year War was based on Spanish and Cuban relations. Although, The Ten Year War was declared over in 1887, conflict continued till 1838. The Ten Year War is also known as the Thirty Year War. In 1886 slavery was abolished in Cuba.
 
     In 1898 war between Cuba and the United States began. The war only lasted a few months. The cause of the war was because a U.S. battleship, USS Maine exploded in the Havana Harbor. The Treaty of Pairs was signed December 20, 1898. Spain’s rule ended January 1, 1899.