Cuban Revolution

Where is Cuba?• 90 miles south of US

Revolution CHANGE

What was the Cuban Revolution?

•Happened in 1959•Castro kicked out Batista,

took over, and changed the government

Batista’s Cuba(Before the Cuban Revolution)

“A rich country with too many poor people”

• Poor people were unhappy • Little land for peasants to farm• Cuba one of richest Latin American

countries• Most Cubans could not earn a living

What caused the Cuban Revolution?• Social

inequality and heavy U.S. influence led to a revolt that brought communism to Cuba.

Reasons for the Cuban Revolution

Cuba was very dependent on U.S.

Hotels and casinos were owned by

wealthy Americans and Cuba's elite

U.S. owned sugar and tobacco

plantations in Cuba

Goals of the Cuban Revolution

•Remove Batista• Set up a democratic

government•Gain independence from

U.S.

What impact did Castro coming to power have on Cuba’s

government?•To ensure he had power to make changes, Castro:–Took full control of government

–Led Cuba more toward communism

–Led Cuba toward conflict with U.S.

What impact did Castro coming to power have on US/Cuban relations?

•Casinos, hotels, and plantation were taken away from U.S. citizens.

•Cuba’s move toward communism troubled U.S. leaders

•U.S. wanted to keep communism out of region

What impact did Castro coming to power have on the rights of

Cuban citizens?

• Limited size of landholdings• People’s civil liberties (freedoms)

restricted under communism

What impact did Castro coming to power have on Cuba’s economy $$$?

• Cuba’s economy $$$ suffered from U.S. embargo (blocking trade)

• Government owned private property and businesses –What type of economy $$$ does this sounds like?

Command

• Castro’s policies led many Cubans to leave country which caused the economy $$$ to struggle

• Castro relied on Soviet Union for economic support; Soviet collapse in 1991 hurt Cuba’s economy $$$

+Positive+ effects of the Cuban Revolution

• Brought Cuban citizens access to good health care and education–Increased the literacy rate

–Raised the life expectance rate