Finally... Independence!

In the early 1890s, Cubans began readying themselves for independence again. (D) José Martí was one of the main organizers of the Cuban Revolutionary Party (D); a poet and patriot, he had planned in New York and gained Yankee support. (B) Cuba launched into war again on February 24^th, 1895 and Martí died on May 19^th. (C) Soon after, the Foster-Cánovas treaty that Spain and the US had signed ended, removing taxes on Cuban sugar in American markets. This left Cuba economically weakened.  Spain had also deployed over 200,000 troops, and ensuing battles killed many civilians and left many places burned down. These weakened economy and massive casualties caused economic activity to come to a standstill. Economic interests pushed the US to get involved, and when there was a mysterious explosion on the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor, the US officially entered the war. (C) In 1896, General Valeriano Weyler Y Nicolau of Spain headed the 200,000 troops, treating rural residents harshly, forcing them into camps where tens of thousands died. (A) The sugarcane crop was destroyed by rebels. After the US entered the war, their forces captured Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Cuban independence was granted by the Treaty of Paris on December 10^th, 1898. (A)