Essay Questions

Essay Questions

Why did Cuban Slavery collapse in the nineteenth century?

Cuba is a small tropical island of Old Spanish settler's society of more than 300 years. This fascinating island had a thriving majority of white people till late 18th century. Whites were able to colonize the island till the arrival of Barbados-style “sugar and slavery” colonization process. Up untill 1763, Cuba was under-populated Spanish Empire with small towns, and tobacco farms. In 16th century, the Cuban decision-making powers took the challenge of sugar plantations, which required a large number of African slaves to be imported in to the island, to satisfy increasing demand of sugar from Europe. About 400, 000 slaves were imported to work on plantations of sugar and coffee, between 1762 and 1838. From 1838 to 1866, Cuba experienced the Golden Age. It was prospering with construction of railroads, steam powdered-mills powered by slaves. Majority of the Cubans favored the invasion the U.S. as a lave state (Wallace 2012).

The downfall of the island began in 1866. At this time, enslaved, plus free colored people, comprised the majority of the population. To a significant extent, they outnumbered the whites, who feared a slave rebellion. As a result, they turned to Haiti and Spain for help. However, in 1804, Haiti collapsed due to slave revolution (Wallace 2012).

British, between 1807 and 1866, also stood against the African slave trading. They forced Spain to abolish the slave trade; nonetheless, illegal imports continued. Britain was coming strong after the Napoleonic War. This further put pressure on all countries in Western Europe to abolish the slave trade. They intervened by stationing ships at the coast of African and Cuba, in an attempt to end the slave trade (Wallace 2012).

By 1860, the enforced prohibition had almost tripled the price of slaves in Cuba. ...