After the Spanish-American War, what was Cuba's status?

After the Spanish-American War, what was Cuba's status?

• A. Full sovereignty without any U.S. influence.
• B. Formal independence in name, but with continued U.S. influence.
• C. Annexed as a U.S. state.
• D. Returned to Spain.

Answer: (B)

Cuba was meant to govern itself after the Spanish-American War, but independence in name didn’t mean complete freedom from outside influence. The United States kept a strong say in Cuban affairs through the Platt Amendment, which allowed intervention in Cuba’s government and gave the U.S. the right to maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay. So Cuba had formal independence, yet U.S. influence shaped its policies for years. The other options don’t fit because Cuba wasn’t made a U.S. state, it wasn’t returned to Spain, and it wasn’t fully sovereign without any American involvement.

Cuba was meant to govern itself after the Spanish-American War, but independence in name didn’t mean complete freedom from outside influence. The United States kept a strong say in Cuban affairs through the Platt Amendment, which allowed intervention in Cuba’s government and gave the U.S. the right to maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay. So Cuba had formal independence, yet U.S. influence shaped its policies for years. The other options don’t fit because Cuba wasn’t made a U.S. state, it wasn’t returned to Spain, and it wasn’t fully sovereign without any American involvement.