Strand
World History, Latin American History, United States History
Objectives
Understand the conditions of Cuban society prior to January 1959 and what factors led to the success of Castro’s revolution. Explore what the effects of the revolution were on Cubans already living in the United States.
Historical Perspective
The stage for the violent upheaval in Cuba was set by the existence of striking political, economic, and social inequalities with more than one-third of the population considered poor and lacking social mobility, coupled with the growth of a frustrated middle class whose rising expectations could no longer be met by a stagnant, sugar-based economy. A corrupt and repressive government supported by the United States had alienated its own people and spurred the growth of a Cuban identity and nationalism divorced from the United States. Yet, with all of this it still took the appearance of a charismatic leader in the right place at the right time to light the fuse and bring all of these ingredients together to make a revolution in Cuba. In 1959, Fidel Castro led a successful revolt that toppled the Batista dictatorship. Castro’s revolution was a turning point in the western hemisphere because it launched a radical program that changed Cuba’s society and economy and placed the country right in the middle of the growing Cold War tensions. At the time of the Castro Revolution, there were about 125,000 Cubans living in the United States. Cubans had been living in the United States since the early 19th century. From tobacco workers in the 1870s to professionals escaping the Castro government in the 1960s, Cuban immigrant shared a strong sense of national identity and exile. For many Cubans, the conditions of being Cuban and of color in a country that at times resents both, has often presented extraordinary challenges.
Pacing
Two class periods
Materials
Expository Writing
Students have the opportunity to write an analytical essay (see Extension below).
Key Questions
What were the conditions in Cuba prior to 1959 that created instability in the country?
What factors led to Fidel Castro’s successful revolution in 1959?
How did this political change on the island affect Cubans living in the United States?Point of View
Students will write eyewitness accounts of events and protests occurring during the Cuban Revolution. Students will research the political and social tenor of the times, including the repression of the Batista government, the social and economic problems that led to instability, and responses by individuals and organizations to Cubans’ call for change. Have students research the topic using the provided links. Encourage them to use the suggested graphic organizer as they read the articles.
“What did the Revolution find when it came to power in Cuba? What marvels did the Revolution find when it came to power in Cuba? First of all the Revolution found that 600,000 able Cubans were unemployed — as many, proportionately, as were unemployed in the United States at the time of the great depression which shook this country and which almost created a catastrophe in the United States. That was our permanent unemployment. Three million out of a population of somewhat over 6,000,000 did not have electric lights and did not enjoy the advantages and comforts of electricity. Three and a half million out of a total of slightly more than 6,000,000 lived in huts, shacks and slums, without the slightest sanitary facilities. In the cities, rents took almost one third of family incomes. Electricity rates and rents were among the highest in the world. Thirty-seven and one half percent of our population were illiterate; 70 per cent of the rural children had no teachers; 2 per cent of population, that is, 100,000 persons out of a total of more than 6,000,000 suffered from tuberculosis. Ninety-five per cent of the children in rural areas were affected by parasites, and the infant mortality rate was therefore very high, just the opposite of the average life span.”
– Fidel Castro, Excerpt from a speech given September 26, 1960 at the U.N. General Assembly
Castro Speech Database
DBQs
To start students thinking about the causes of the Cuban Revolution, have them read the excerpt.
Key questions they should answer are:
- Who is Castro speaking to?
- What does he claim the conditions were in Cuba prior to the revolution?
- How might you react to this speech if you were a Cuban living in the United States?
- What might lead some Latino parents to be fearful about their children being educated in American schools?
Directions
Distribute the Student Activity sheet or have students access it from Latino American Experience Classroom Resources. Use The Latino American Experience Related Link to Fidel Castro’s “When the People Rule” speech and choose a few students to read it aloud to the class. Explain that he spoke these words right at the climax of the historical period they are about to explore. Tell students that they will research some of the events and people referenced in the speech.
Assign each student a topic from below, reminding them to consider its potential impact on the Cuban–American point of view.
- Struggle against Batista
- Castro’s personal qualities
- Early reforms
- Bay of Pigs
- Missile Crisis
- Creating a command economy
- Cuba’s relationship with the U.S.
- Cuban communities in the U.S.
Tell students to use the Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer to take notes. Remind students that their personal account should include at least ten specific details from their research. In constructing their essays, students should consider how ties to one’s homeland, including concern for relatives and friends still in Cuba, might shape one’s reaction to the unfolding revolution. How might their viewpoint differ from those of their non-Cuban neighbors? Tell students that they will read sections of their narratives for the class.
Assessment
Use the Generic Writing Rubric to assess students’ performance. Have students reflect on their performance and use the list of expectations to judge how well they met the criteria.
Extension
Have students use Latino American Experience to research and write an analytical essay on whether the U.S. embargo against Cuba is effective or not.
(May be copied for classroom use.)