I am sure all of us have heard of the 1854 Ostend Manifesto -is there any way within reason that Cuba can become another American state, and to remain one to the present day?
The easiest way to do this would be to have Congress never pass the Teller Amendment. The Teller Amendment, named for Senator Henry Moore Teller of Colorado, was a resolution of Congress that stated that the U.S. had to give Cuba independence. If this hadn't been adopted, there's a fair chance that Cuba would have been annexed after the war; it likely wouldn't become a state right away, because of its large Latino population, but eventually it might happen.
I once planned on writing a TL based on thisIt's certainly possible for Cuba to become a state, but it wouldn't be because of the Ostend Manifesto. As the Kiat points out, acquiring Cuba in this period would mean adding a slave state, and then there'd have to be a free state added as well.
The easiest way to do this would be to have Congress never pass the Teller Amendment. The Teller Amendment, named for Senator Henry Moore Teller of Colorado, was a resolution of Congress that stated that the U.S. had to give Cuba independence. If this hadn't been adopted, there's a fair chance that Cuba would have been annexed after the war; it likely wouldn't become a state right away, because of its large Latino population, but eventually it might happen.