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For most of its history, Cuba was controlled by foreign powers. The country was a Spanish colony from approximately 1511 until 1898. The United States governed the nation from 1898–1902, and would intervene in national affairs until the abolishment of the Platt Amendment in 1935. The struggle for independence and a national identity was a complex and prolonged affair that began in earnest during the late 18th century and lasted well into the 20th century. ==Spanish colonial period== From the island's discovery in 1492 to 1750, Spain ruled Cuba from afar, with a Crown-appointed Governor overseeing the colony under the military title of Captain General. Laws approved by the Governor crossed the Atlantic and were then filtered between countless levels of colonial bureaucracy. The administrators tended to compromise with local elites, who were often granted permission to administer justice themselves. In the 1630s, Americans were permitted to hold office in Cuba; by 1678, they were allowed to hold judgeships. These positions were quickly filled by wealthy ''criollo'', who often purchased the privilege directly, and operated with reduced Spanish supervision.〔 This led to increased corruption, and drove a wedge between the wealthy and the working-class. In the 1750s, when Spain sought to reassert control in the Americas, these elite positions were greatly weakened, much to the anger of those who had enjoyed the collateral benefits of authority. In the early 19th century, Cuban nationalist movement lagged behind its counterparts in the rest of Latin America. Maintaining good relations with Spain was essential for the health of Cuba's primarily agrarian economy, as the island nation was heavily dependent at the time upon exporting its sugar to European markets. Cuba, as one of the last outposts of slavery, also relied on Spain for protection against any potential slave uprisings. As compared to most other Latin American countries at the time, a very large percentage of the Cuban population were Spaniards or their descendants; the native Taíno and Ciboney peoples had mostly disappeared in Cuba early in the colonial period. Nonetheless, during the 19th century, vocal nationalists like Jose Marti inspired Cubans to rebel against their colonizers. Many nationalists saw Spain as incapable of supporting a booming Cuban economy. Cuba made use of new industrial technologies, such as steam engines, well before their large-scale introduction in Spain.〔 Nationalists thus concluded that Cuba was entering a new stage of modernity, while Spain was becoming more and more obsolete, and holding Cuba back from economic and political success. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of Cuban nationality」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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