Cuba’s history is marked by dramatic transformations – from its early indigenous societies through centuries of Spanish colonial rule, to struggles for independence and the revolutionary upheaval of the 20th century. This white paper provides a broad overview of Cuban history, beginning with the pre-Columbian era and the island’s encounter with European explorers, and continuing through the Cuban Revolution of 1959. It examines key events, figures, and socio-political developments in each era, including Spanish colonization and the plantation economy, the wars of independence against Spain, the period of U.S. influence and the Cuban Republic, and the rise of Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement. Written for a student audience in a scholarly but accessible tone, the following sections trace how Cuba’s complex past shaped its identity and destiny by the mid-20th century.