Chronology of Colonial Cuba American battleship, USS "Maine", was sunk under strange circumstances in the Havana Harbor. This brought about American intervention in the war, which became the Spanish–American War that ended with the Treaty of Paris on December 10, within which Spain ceded Cuba and Puerto Rico to the United States. Thus, a new stage in Cuban history was begun. Chronology of Colonial Cuba The chronology of the colonial time of Cuba is about the Spanish colonial period in Cuba, and the efforts to obtain independence from the Spanish Empire and includes history from the "discovery" of the island by Christopher Columbus to
Battle of Santiago de Cuba (1748) and the 16-gun, 100-man sloops "Merlin" and "Weazel". He had initially intended to take his squadron and attack Santiago de Cuba, but contrary winds led to him deciding instead to attack Fort Saint Louis de Sud. He arrived on 8 March 1748, and after subjecting the fort to a heavy bombardment forced its surrender. Attacks on Petit-Goâve and Cap-Français, however, had to be postponed due to lack of troops. It was therefore decided to proceed with the attack upon Santiago. The afternoon of 28 March, having been joined by "HMS Lenox" and the frigates "Vainqueur", "Vulture", and the tender "Sharp",