Final answer:
Cuba was controlled by Spain for centuries before the U.S. developed an interest in its sugar industry, attempting to purchase the island multiple times. American businesses owned many plantations and operated casinos, which changed following Fidel Castro's revolution that nationalized foreign assets and ended external ownership of resources in Cuba.
Step-by-step explanation:
For centuries, Cuba was a Spanish colony that was highly profitable due to its sugar-producing capabilities. The United States harbored long-term interests in acquiring Cuba, motivated by the island's strategic location and its vibrant sugar industry. In 1848, the U.S. attempted to purchase Cuba from Spain for $100 million but faced opposition and other hurdles. Southern Americans, especially those from the Congress, continued to push for annexation of Cuba for its sugar plantations. Furthermore, Cuba was home to significant American investments and economic interests prior to its revolution.
During the 1890s, the struggle for Cuban independence peaked, leading to a war against Spanish rule. Ultimately, by the 20th century, the island was greatly influenced by American capital; U.S. interests owned large haciendas, farmland, and various industrial and business operations, including those involved in gambling and organized crime. The revolutionary movement led by Fidel Castro sought to forbid foreign ownership of land, nationalize these foreign-owned assets, and assert Cuban control over its own resources, displacing U.S. interests and organized crime operations from the island. Castro's socialist policies, alongside a trade embargo imposed by the United States and the end of Soviet Union aid, shaped modern Cuba's political and economic landscape.