Cuba: An American History

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

“Cuba: An American History tells the story of a tropical island that sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, not far from the United States. It is a history of more than half a millennium, from before the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the death of Fidel Castro and beyond. Yet, for a history so sweeping in scope, this is also a deeply personal book.”

In this opening statement, Ada Ferrer underlines both the scope of her historical narrative (“more than half a millennium”) and her positionality to it—her personal, subjective perspective on the topic. By foregrounding her subjectivity, Ferrer emphasizes the idea that historical narratives are shaped by personal connections. In this case, Ferrer’s research was driven by her own Cuban American background. With this introduction, Ferrer lays the foundation for her argument that history is deeply individual even though it is public.

“If Columbus begins US history as written, that is partly because, consciously or unconsciously, imperial ambitions have shaped US history from the beginning, too. And Cuba—where Columbus did land—is a critical presence in that American history.”

As the title suggests, Cuba: An American History focuses on the connections between US and Cuban history. Ferrer’s description of how Christopher Columbus’s arrival impacted both the history of the US and Cuba emphasizes the ties between the two nations. Here, she foreshadows her argument that American “imperial ambitions” shaped Cuba’s history, which she builds throughout the work.

“For almost three centuries, Spanish treasure fleets carrying dizzying amounts of gold and silver would follow that same route. The great quantities of precious minerals of Mexico and Peru, and the existence in both places of massive Native empires capable of providing the labor to mine them, soon transformed Spain into the wealthiest and most powerful place on earth. And the discovery of the Gulf Stream that guided treasure ships to Spain turned Havana into ‘Key to the New World.’”

This passage illustrates the lyrical quality of Ferrer’s narrative. She uses hyperbolic language like “dizzying amounts” and “the wealthiest and most powerful place on earth” to vividly depict Spain’s imperial prowess. The phrase “Key to the New World” also emphasizes Cuba’s important position during this time of colonial power and trade.