So I once remember reading that President Tomás Estrada y Palma of Cuba favoured annexation of his island to the United States. Given that he was President of Cuba from 1902 to 1906 I thought it might have just been an apocryphal story that had made its way into a minor history book, since I don't ever recall reading that Palma tried to do anything during his term to get Cuba annexed to the US. But then I came across a New York Times article from 1901 which quotes Palma:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30912F83A5D12738DDDAE0894DF405B818CF1D3
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F30912F83A5D12738DDDAE0894DF405B818CF1D3
His own words apparently (published July 7, 1901):
"What do I believe to be the natural destiny of Cuba? Why, to be a part of the United States, of course. There is no other alternative in the end, but for the present, as the General said, the Cubans want to taste what they have been fighting and dying for just once, even if for a little while - Cuba Libre."
Given that he was talking in the United States to a group of some prominent Americans at a dinner to which he and his friend (General Gomez) had been invited to, there is the possibility that he may just have been saying what his audience wanted to hear.
Palma himself was an American citizen and for a time seems to have led the Cuban Revolutionary Party.
Initially I can't see Cuba voting for annexation unless there was ASB-like changes to how the war of liberation, the Spanish-American War and the US occupation proceeded. In the 1900 municipal elections the pro-independence Cuban National Party and the pro-independence Republican Party won in all the municipalities against the pro-annexation Democratic Union Party (see: http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/time/timetbl2d.htm). However both the Cuban National Party and the Republican Party both supported Palma (who was still an American citizen at the time and had said the natural destiny of Cuba was to be a part of the United States) as their candidate for President (in the end Palma won an uncontested election).
Palma won a second term in 1905/1906 but it was disputed and led to his ouster and a second US occupation between 1906 and 1909. He died 10 days before the 1908 presidential elections (November 14, 1908) at the age of 76.
So is there any way Palma could have managed to become Governor Palma of the US territory of Cuba before his death in 1908?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30912F83A5D12738DDDAE0894DF405B818CF1D3
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F30912F83A5D12738DDDAE0894DF405B818CF1D3
His own words apparently (published July 7, 1901):
"What do I believe to be the natural destiny of Cuba? Why, to be a part of the United States, of course. There is no other alternative in the end, but for the present, as the General said, the Cubans want to taste what they have been fighting and dying for just once, even if for a little while - Cuba Libre."
Given that he was talking in the United States to a group of some prominent Americans at a dinner to which he and his friend (General Gomez) had been invited to, there is the possibility that he may just have been saying what his audience wanted to hear.
Palma himself was an American citizen and for a time seems to have led the Cuban Revolutionary Party.
Initially I can't see Cuba voting for annexation unless there was ASB-like changes to how the war of liberation, the Spanish-American War and the US occupation proceeded. In the 1900 municipal elections the pro-independence Cuban National Party and the pro-independence Republican Party won in all the municipalities against the pro-annexation Democratic Union Party (see: http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/time/timetbl2d.htm). However both the Cuban National Party and the Republican Party both supported Palma (who was still an American citizen at the time and had said the natural destiny of Cuba was to be a part of the United States) as their candidate for President (in the end Palma won an uncontested election).
Palma won a second term in 1905/1906 but it was disputed and led to his ouster and a second US occupation between 1906 and 1909. He died 10 days before the 1908 presidential elections (November 14, 1908) at the age of 76.
So is there any way Palma could have managed to become Governor Palma of the US territory of Cuba before his death in 1908?