The History of Cuba, vol. 5

In Short

This final volume of a comprehensive national history offers a exhaustive, region-by-region assessment of Cuba’s natural resources, economic capabilities, and civic institutions in the early twentieth century. Moving systematically from the rugged topography of Oriente to the fertile fields of Pinar del Rio, it documents the island's agricultural industries, mineral wealth, transport systems, and urban developments. The text captures a pivotal era when foreign capital, modern technology, and post-war independence converged to reshape the young republic's landscape. It stands as a meticulous snapshot of a nation coming into full possession of its wealth.

The Story

The narrative opens with a foundational premise: nature created Cuba for material greatness, but centuries of colonial rule delayed the realization of its vast wealth until full political independence took root. To prove this thesis, the account embarks on a systematic physical and economic tour of the island, province by province. Beginning in the east, it details the dramatic uplifted plateaus, deep river valleys, and iron-rich ranges of Oriente, where cool mountain elevations offer untapped agricultural potential. Moving westward into Pinar del Rio, the text highlights the world-renowned tobacco soil of the organ-pipe mountain shadows and the level coastal plains driving local commerce.

As the survey traverses Cardenas, Matanzas, and Camaguey, it examines both native developments and foreign enterprise. It chronicles the struggles of American agricultural colonies like La Gloria, where isolated settlers fought poor transport links to build farming communities. The focus then turns deep beneath the surface, tracing the history of Cuban extraction. The chronicle details how early indigenous and Spanish gold washings gave way to historic copper discoveries at El Cobre and the eventual tapping of vast asphalt, naphtha, and crude oil deposits leaking from serpentine rock formations.

Turning to agricultural production, the text examines the modern industrial systems that fuel the economy. It documents the massive corporate expansion of sugar corporations under leaders like Robert B. Hawley and General Mario G. Menocal, tracing how vast acreage, rail networks, and colono labor systems transformed sugar into a global juggernaut. Parallel studies analyze the meticulous cultivation of coffee, the daily downpours that drive the massive banana yields of Cape Maisi, and the lucrative high-yield market gardening made possible by modern irrigation.

Beyond fields and mines, the narrative explores the social fabric and infrastructure of daily life. It outlines government efforts by the Bureau of Information to guide homesteaders and protect wild game, then shifts to urban culture—contrasting ancient, heavy Gothic stone convents with modern steel skyscrapers. It details daily pastimes, from high-stakes Jai Alai and American-style baseball to horse racing at Marianao, while mapping out historic road construction around Spanish-American War battlefields like San Juan Hill. Finally, the account surveys Cuba's deep-water harbors and expanding international maritime links, concluding with an index of the vast web of commodities, corporations, and landscapes that define the republic's wealth.

How It Unfolds

The land takes shape The survey establishes the physical foundation of the island, detailing the dramatic mountain plateaus of Oriente and the distinctive fluted limestone ridges of Pinar del Rio. These contrasting topographies define the unique agricultural capacities and local microclimates of each province.

Colonies and coastlines The focus moves to regional settlement, exploring coastal commercial hubs like Cardenas alongside the isolated inland settlements of American pioneers in Camaguey. It highlights how poor transport infrastructure initially crippled these early agricultural colonies despite their fertile soil.

Minerals and mechanics The chronicle digs into the island's subterranean wealth, tracing the transition from early, abandoned gold panning to major copper mines and liquid naphtha wells. Technical reports reveal how ancient trade networks and modern drilling operations both relied on these rich geological deposits.

The engines of enterprise Detailed economic analyses reveal how massive corporate structures, specialized irrigation, and government oversight transformed basic crops into vast global export markets. Sugar corporations, coffee plantations, banana yields, and forest-fed livestock demonstrate the tremendous scale of island production.

Cities, sports, and sea lanes The narrative concludes by examining civic life, infrastructure, and international commerce, contrasting historic stone convents with new skyscrapers and modern sports. It ends on the busy waterfronts, where deep-water harbors connect Cuban commodities to global steamship routes.

The People

• Willis Fletcher Johnson — The author and historian who acts as an authoritative guide through Cuba's geography, economy, and institutions, arguing throughout that political freedom is the essential prerequisite for national prosperity.
• Robert B. Hawley — A Texas State Senator who organized the Chaparra Sugar Company and built the Cuban-American Sugar Company into a global titan through diplomatic skill and sympathetic relations with local workers.
• General Mario G. Menocal — A patriotic military figure and President of the Cuban Republic who simultaneously served as the operational general manager for major sugar properties, bridging political authority and industrial development.
• General Narciso Lopez — An early anti-Spanish revolutionist who landed at Cardenas in 1850 with 600 followers, briefly capturing the city before retreating when local forces failed to rise in support.
• Manuel Cueto — An enterprising explorer who drilled early wells on the Montembo Farm in Matanzas, successfully tapping pure, highly inflammable liquid naphtha deposits deep beneath the soil.

In Its Own Voice

"Nature designed Cuba for greatness. That salient fact is written large and clear upon every page of the island’s history."

This opening assertion sets the tone for a sweeping evaluation of the republic's immense physical potential and late-blooming independence.

"The delightful aroma and flavor of the tobacco grown in the section of which this city is the center, and whose quality has been equaled in no other place, has rendered this province, in one way at least, famous throughout the entire civilized world."

This passage illustrates the text's focus on the unique environmental conditions that elevate local agricultural products to international renown.

"The presence of gold found in Cuba, although encouraging at the time, has never approached the value of other metals far more common and found in almost unlimited quantities."

Here, the author contrasts early colonial obsessions with the far greater, enduring economic value of the island's base minerals.

What It's Really About

Underneath its dense economic data and regional geography, the book is an argument for the transformative power of self-determination and modern industrial management. It seeks to prove that natural wealth remains dormant under extractive colonial rule, requiring political independence, transparent government guidance, and sophisticated capital investment to reach its potential. The text constantly weighs the tension between isolation and connection, showing how roads, deep-water ports, and shipping lines determine whether an environment flourishes or stalls. It also examines the intersection of corporate enterprise and local labor, asserting that sustained commercial success in the post-colonial era depends on mutual respect and genuine cooperation between foreign investors and the Cuban populace.

Why Read It Today

This text appeals to readers who enjoy vintage economic history, historical geography, and detailed regional surveys. It offers an immersive, primary-source look at the Caribbean at a crucial historical juncture—just after World War I and the Spanish-American War—when traditional agriculture was rapidly merging with corporate enterprise and modern infrastructure. The prose carries a clear, confident authority, combining physical descriptions of rugged terrain with precise statistical records.

Readers must navigate the technical density of an official survey, complete with lengthy enumerations of crop yields, corporate land holdings, geological strata, and transport schedules. The text also reflects period attitudes regarding foreign investment and development, viewing landscape primarily through the lens of productivity and commercial output. Yet, for those fascinated by how nations are built and documented, the sheer volume of concrete detail—from the daily habits of forest-bred hogs to the mechanics of Jai Alai—provides a vivid, comprehensive portrait of early twentieth-century Cuba that remains strikingly detailed.

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