Initial Conquest

        When Columbus landed on the island of Cuba in 1492, 3 tribes of natives were occupying the land: the Guanahatabey, Ciboney, and Taino. (D) The Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar began bringing settlers in 1511, 300 Spaniards with slaves,(A) with soldiers and priests among them. (D) The Spaniards quickly took control and forced the indigenous people to farm and mine. (D) The native population began a steady decrease. By 1515, Spain had already divided Cuba into seven municipalities, all with their own councils. At first, settlers were attracted by word of gold deposits, but most of it was already gone by the 1540s. By 1550 the Indian population had fallen to below 5,000. (C)The Spanish were no longer able to exploit the natives as they used to; the population was too low for that. The slaves that the Spanish had taken with them had a better social standing than the natives up until the end of the 16^th century. (A)