Cuba: An American History

Ferrer claims that Cuban history is a “mirror” for the history of the United States. Explain your understanding of this claim. What does the image of a “mirror” imply about the connection between the US and Cuba?

Drawing on what you have learned about US-Cuban relations from Cuba: An American History, describe how you think this relationship might change—or not—in the next five or 10 years.

Read another account of the Cuban Missile Crisis, such as Abyss by Max Hastings (2022). How does this account agree with or differ from Ferrer’s presentation of the same events in Cuba: An American History?

To what extent was the legacy of enslavement and racial politics a driving force in Cuban history?

Analyze how Ferrer incorporates her personal family history into the wider account of Cuban history. How does it impact the narrative?

Although Ferrer focuses on how the US’s imperial ambitions shaped Cuba, she also describes how Britain and Spain colonized Cuba, too. How were these three stages of imperial control distinct? How were they similar?

What are the impacts of the Cuban Revolution on the lives of everyday Cubans? Consider both positive and negative impacts.

How were political and military leaders like José Martí and Antonio Maceo used as symbolic inspirational figures in Cuban mass movements throughout history? How did the symbology of the martyr play into their representative and inspirational roles?