The Cuban Revolution

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: How can the rise or fall of a country’s leader affect other nations? 

2. List Vocabulary
Share some of the challenging vocabulary words in the article. Encourage students to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• regime (p. 19)
• propaganda (p. 19)
• embargo (p. 20)
• normalize (p. 21)
• sanctions (p. 21)
• reprisals (p. 21)

3. Engage
Ask students to think of the ways that different countries work together economically and socially. Have students consider what might change if a nation’s ally got a new leader who was hostile to its interests.

4. Read and Discuss
Ask students to read the Upfront article about the Cuban Revolution. Review why the article is a secondary source. (It was written by someone who didn’t personally experience or witness the events.) Then pose these critical-thinking questions and ask students to cite text evidence when answering them:

• Why did the U.S. support Fulgencio Batista? Why did Castro want to overthrow him? How did Castro pledge to be different? (The U.S. supported Batista because he opposed Communism and was friendly to America’s business interests. Castro wanted to overthrow him because Batista was a corrupt authoritarian who oppressed people, embezzled money, and enacted policies that benefited the wealthy while the poor suffered. Castro said he would hold free elections, support human rights, and work to help the poor by redistributing wealth.)

• How did people respond to the rise of Castro? Did everyone have the same reaction? Why or why not? (Many people in Cuba and around the world, including in the U.S., cheered when Castro took over. However, wealthy Cubans left the country to escape Castro’s policies, which favored the poor. Soon after, as Castro began implementing his policies and seizing American business assets, the U.S. government turned against Cuba. When Castro opened its borders in 1980, 125,000 more Cubans left.)

• What was the Bay of Pigs? What can you infer from the article about how this episode affected U.S.-Cuba relations? (The Bay of Pigs was a failed invasion by Cuban exiles aided by the U.S. that aimed to overthrow Castro. You can infer that it severely damaged U.S.-Cuba relations because it led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the U.S. and Cuba are still at odds, despite an attempt in 2015 to normalize relations.)

• According to the article, what factors (both historically and more recently) have contributed to Cuba’s current economic crisis? (Factors that led to Cuba’s economic crisis include Castro’s seizing of U.S. business assets, which led to President John F. Kennedy’s trade embargo; Cuba’s trade reliance on the Soviet Union, which later fell; President Donald Trump’s economic sanctions; and the Covid-19 pandemic.)

5. Use the Primary Sources
Project, distribute, or assign in Google Classroom the PDF ‘Our Revolution Must Be Defended,’ which features an excerpt from a speech Castro gave after coming to power in 1959. Discuss what makes the excerpt a primary source. (It provides firsthand evidence concerning the topic.) Have students read the excerpt and answer the questions below (which appear on the PDF without answers).

• How would you describe the tone and purpose of this excerpt? (The tone can be described as defensive in part of the excerpt. The purpose is for Castro to defend himself against criticism he is receiving from the U.S.)

• How does Castro characterize Cuba’s relationship with the U.S. in this excerpt? (Castro says that the U.S. and Cuban governments are not engaged in hostilities but that a group in the U.S. is trying to sway public opinion against Castro’s regime, which Castro thinks is “criminal, base, and cowardly” and is unfair to the Cuban people.)

• Why does Castro accuse the U.S. of trying to “slander” the revolution? How might the U.S. respond to that claim? (Castro thinks the U.S. is trying to “slander” the revolution by criticizing him for executing Batista supporters without trial—he does not think he should be criticized for his actions. Student answers about the U.S.’s response may vary, but they may note that the U.S. might say its criticisms are fair because it believes everyone has the right to a fair trial.) 

• What invitation does Castro offer to the American press and why? Do you think Castro would have made the same invitation toward the end of his regime? (He invites the press to stay permanently because he has “nothing to hide.” Students’ answers will vary, but they may note that, based on how he treated dissenters and stifled free speech, he probably would not have extended the same invitation toward the end of his regime.)

• Based on the Upfront article, did Castro uphold the ideas he espoused in this speech about social justice, freedom, and human rights? Explain. (Students’ answers will vary, but they may note that, based on how the article describes Castro’s leadership, he mostly did not uphold the ideas he discussed in this interview.)

6. Writing Prompt
Have students do independent research on Cuba’s new leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel. Then have them write a brief essay comparing and contrasting Díaz-Canel with Castro.

7. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and Analyze the Cartoon to practice visual analysis.

8. Classroom Debate
Should the U.S. normalize relations with Cuba?

9. Diving Deeper
Have the class watch interview clips of Castro, or have small groups research and select interview clips of Castro to present to the class. Have students analyze and discuss what the clips add to their understanding of Castro, his ideas, his leadership, and the role he plays in history.