Cuba Colonial Records

Spanish Colonization (1492-1898)
Cuba was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, but colonization did not begin until 1510. Baracoa, the first Spanish settlement, was founded in 1511. In June 1762, the British occupied Havana, but did not take control of the entire island. British occupation ended with the signing of the Peace of Paris in February 1763. The Spanish–American War resulted in a Spanish withdrawal from the island in 1898 after the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1898).

United States (1898-1902, 1906-1909)
As a result of the Spanish-American War, Cuba fell under US military rule and became a United States protectorate. Cuba gained formal independence in 1902 as the Republic of Cuba, with the US maintaining the right to Cuban military affairs, finances, and foreign relations. The United States began a second occupation of Cuba in September 1906 when the regime of Estrada Palma collapsed. Following the 1908 election of Jose Miguel Gomez, American troops were withdrawn in 1909.