How did the United States establish a naval base at Guantanamo Bay?
Cuba granted a permanent lease on the land under the Naval base to the United States in 1903. This agreement came largely as a consequence of cooperation between the United States and Cuba during the previous five year period, during which the Cubans were actively fighting for independence from Spain and the United States was involved in the Spanish-American War. A combination of Cuban forces, U.S. Marines, and U.S. Naval vessels drove the Spanish from the island of Cuba. The newly formed Republic of Cuba negotiated the lease with the U.S. government shortly after. For more information on the history of the Bay, consider reading History of Guantanamo Bay, which is an unofficial history of the Bay available (free) from a U.S. Navy website.
