Unit 5: Cuba

Overview:

Can dictators be good leaders? What impact has US involvement had on the Caribbean? In this class we will focus on political conflicts and leadership in the Caribbean throughout the 20th century. Through close readings of texts, discussions, and debates we will evaluate the consequences of choices made around the Cold War period by the leadership in Cuba, the Soviet Union and the US. This class does offer an opportunity to write a pre-requisite level paper for social studies.

Units and Essential Questions: 

1. Can dictators be good leaders?

- How did Cuba gain its independence from Spain? What happened after?

- Who was Fulgencio Batista and what was life like in Cuba under his control?

- Who was Fidel Castro and how was he able to lead a successful revolution in Cuba?

- How did the revolution of 1959 promise to change life for Cubans?

2. What role has the US played in Cuba?

- What relationship was developed between the US and Cuba as a result of the Platt Agreement?

- What was the US’s response to the Cuban Revolution?

- What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

- What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

3. What is Cuba like today?

- What has life been like in Cuba since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991?

- Is communism a viable option for the future of Cuba?

- What is the relationship of the Cuban diaspora, particularly in the US to Cuba?

- What are race relations like in Cuba today?