Cuban Junta

The Cuban Junta was a group of Cuban nationalists that advocated for Cuban independence before and during the Spanish-American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898). The Junta was primarily made up of naturalized Cubans located in the United States. The main goal of the Junta was to free Cuba from the Spanish Empire by securing financial and military aid from the United States. The Junta used the American press as a device to distribute propaganda on Spanish rule in Cuba, fostering support among American citizens. The deciding factor that sent the United States into the Spanish-American War was the publication of the De Lôme Letter by the revolutionaries of the Cuban Junta. The letter was written by the Spanish ambassador to the United States, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, and was very critical of President William McKinley. The publication of the letter heightened tensions between the United States and Spain, and President McKinley was forced to confront Spain; he did so in demanding that Cuba be granted independence, which resulted in the beginning of the Spanish-American War on April 21, 1898.

There were three Cuban Juntas established in the United States between 1848 and 1898. They each had different leadership, but similar goals of using aid from the United States to achieve Cuban independence. The third Junta was finally successful in 1898 with the defeat of the Spanish. Although Spain had been expelled, Cuba wasn't officially declared independent until the United States occupation ended in 1902.