The Republic of Cuba 



With the withdrawal of the Spanish troops 

 those of the United States and of Cuba herself, 

 were distributed to preserve order and quiet and 

 to organize departments which guaranteed a good 

 and safe government. 



In July 1900, the United States military gov- 

 ernor of Cuba decreed an election of delegates to 

 a constitutional convention to be held the follow- 

 ing September and to arrange for an election by 

 the people under the constitution so framed. 

 The election was held on September 15, 1900, 

 and in less than three months the constitution 

 was completed on lines very similar to those of 

 the Constitution of the United States. 



On December 31st, 1901, an election of officers 

 for the new republic was held with the result that 

 Estrada Palma was chosen as the first President 

 of the Cuban Republic. 



On the 24th of March following, the United 

 States began the withdrawal of troops and thus 

 began the real establishment of the Cuban 

 Repubhc. 



The Palma administration continued from May 

 20, 1902, until October 13, 1906. The policy of 

 the Government did not satisfy the Liberal Party, 

 and soon after the second election, an uprising 

 occurred which resulted in the United States 

 being solicited to intervene, which it did under 

 the direction of President Roosevelt, who ap- 

 pointed a Governor General of the Island. In 

 this second intervention, however, the United 

 States Government took only the position of 

 preserving order. On the 29th of January, 1909, 

 General Jose Miguel Gomez took the chair as the 

 Second President of Cuba — the inauguration be- 

 ing held on the birthday of Jose Marti, called the 

 "Apostle of Cuban Liberty." 



