Abstract
This chapter contains an edition of George Kennan’s (1845–1924) lecture “Cuba and the Cubansˮ, which the famous journalist and travel writer presented throughout the United States since 1899. The document is an important source on the U.S. perception of Cuba in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War (1898) and provides an insight into American attitudes towards the Caribbean neighbor and into arguments that were summoned during the later discussion about the political future of the island.
George Kennan Papers. Manuscripts and Archives Division. The New York Public Library. Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations, Box 3, Series III. Writings, speeches, publications and notes, 1866–1922, 1963, n.d., 3.13 Cuba and the Cubans, lecture, n.d. The lecture is handwritten with pencil on 140 numbered pages.
I would like to thank the staff members of the Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room for Rare Books and Manuscripts at the New York Public Library for the support during my research there.
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Notes
- 1.
The numbers in brackets refer to the original manuscript pagination.
- 2.
Kennan often uses “&” instead of “and”, however, for a uniform reproduction, all have been switched to “and”.
- 3.
Originally Kennan used paragraphs after almost every sentence. To provide a better structure to the manuscript this has been adjusted by the editor.
- 4.
This and the following marked sections (deletions) were crossed out in the original manuscript. It seems likely that Kennan erased such parts to shorten the overall lecture. If he, however, just changed a single word or two, the final version of the lecture manuscript is presented here.
- 5.
Additions to the text by the editor were put in parentheses.
- 6.
William Rufus Shafter (1835–1906). For his life and work see Paul H. Carlson, “Pecos Bill”: A Military Biography of William R. Shafter (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1989).
- 7.
Calixto García (1839–1898). For works on the general, who was involved in all major Cuban revolutionary wars during the 19th century, see Dolores Rovirosa, Calixto Garcia: A Tentative Bibliography (Miami, FL: Ediciones Universal, 1980).
- 8.
“Tatterdemalions” bascially means something like ragged tramps.
- 9.
It is unclear if Kennan refers to a real person or the literary figure at this point.
- 10.
Leonard Wood (1860–1927). On Wood’s life and military career see Jack C. Lane, Armed Progressive: General Leonard Wood (San Rafael, CA: Presidio Press, 1978).
- 11.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919). Wood and Roosevelt had organized the 1st Volunteer Cavalry regiment that served during the war and became publicly known as the Rough Riders . Kennan will later also make a reference to this regiment in the lecture. On the Rough Riders see Roosevel’s own description of the events in Theodore Roosevelt , The Rough Riders (New York : C. Scribner’s Sons, 1899). On the relationship between Wood and Roosevelt, a recent publication is definitely worth reading. John S. D. Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt and Leonard Wood : Partners in Command (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2014).
- 12.
Emphasis in the original.
- 13.
Adna Chaffee (1842–1914). There is only an older biography from 1917 that deals with the later Military Governor of the Philippines . William H. Carter, The Life of Lieutenant General Chaffee (Chicago : Chicago University Press, 1917).
- 14.
Henry Lawton (1843–1899).
- 15.
Dr. E. Winfield Egan received a telgram from the Cuban Relief Committee on February 16, 1898 that simply stated “Barton wants you in Havana .” Clara Barton papers, 1805–1958, Library of Congress, Red Cross File, 1863–1957, American National Red Cross , 1878–1957; Relief operations; Spanish-American War ; Correspondence; Special; Egan, E. Winfield, 1898–1902, undated, MSS11973, box: 135; Microfilm reel: 97. He eventually served as surgeon for the Red Cross during the war.
- 16.
Kennan usually uses “oclock” instead of “o’clock.” This had been adjusted due to the editing process.
- 17.
Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (1842–1904) was a Russian war artist, whose internationally recognized paintings, like The Apotheosis of War (1871), also depicted the cruelties of war.
- 18.
Samuel Francis Smith (1808–1895) wrote this popular American song in 1831. 1. My country, ’tis of thee, / Sweet land of liberty, / Of thee I sing; / Land where my fathers died, / Land of the pilgrims’ pride, / From every mountainside / Let freedom ring! 2. My native country, thee, / Land of the noble free, / Thy name I love; / I love thy rocks and rills, / Thy woods and templed hills; / My heart with rapture thrills, / Like that above. 3. Let music swell the breeze, / And ring from all the trees / Sweet freedom’s song; / Let mortal tongues awake; / Let all that breathe partake; / Let rocks their silence break, / The sound prolong. 4. Our father’s God to Thee, / Author of liberty, / To Thee we sing. / Long may our land be bright, / With freedom’s holy light, / Protect us by Thy might, / Great God our King.
- 19.
Clara Barton (1821–1912).
- 20.
Kennan had added the remark “Click 1” here, probably showing some photographs during the lecture.
- 21.
The Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York .
- 22.
The Kennans owned a summer house in Nova Scotia , where George would usually spent time to recover from his yearly lecture series.
- 23.
Kennan showed additional images at this spot (Click 2–3 and 4).
- 24.
I assume that this is Alfred M. Ray (c1849–1917).
- 25.
On this unit see Patrick M. Sherry, “A Brief History of the 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry,” http://www.spanamwar.com/3rdGeorgia.htm (last access, November 12, 2016).
- 26.
“Click 5” is inserted here, this time mentioning that the photograph would show “Palms at Guantanamo .”
- 27.
“Click 6” was supposed to show a “Cascade” here.
- 28.
Kennan switched to the spelling “Julio” at this point.
- 29.
A variation of “to yerk,” which means to strike of whip.
- 30.
A sou marqué is a French colonial coin that was quite common in the West Indies and North America during the 18th century.
- 31.
At the end of the crossed out part Kennan makes another picture reference, namely “Click 8 (Road house).”
- 32.
The Chilkoot Pass runs through the Coast Mountains, and is thereby connecting Alaska and British Columbia. For a historical analysis of this region see Kathryn Taylor Morse, The Nature of Gold: An Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2003).
- 33.
“Click 9” was supposed to show an image of Baracoa at this point.
- 34.
“Click 10” was supposed to show another image of the area.
- 35.
“Click 11” (Baracoa ).
- 36.
Originally Kennan had referred to “seventy five” attendants.
- 37.
Kennan added here the note “Begin Havana pictures”, which indicates that the further part of the lecture must have been supported by photographs he had taken in the Cuban capital.
- 38.
Emphasis in the original.
- 39.
Emphasis in the original.
- 40.
Emphasis in the original.
- 41.
Page 84 of the manuscript is mostly unreadable, since the paper darkened and makes it hard to identify the words that had been written with pencil on it. The edition therefore continues with the last sentence on page 83, turning to page 85, which describes the cemetery tour itself.
- 42.
John R. Brooke (1838–1926).
- 43.
A “Click” at this point was supposed to show a photograph of a “Reconcentrado village.”
- 44.
Another “Click” would show the photograph of “Emaciated children.”
- 45.
The term “not yet” is a replacement for the original “only just.”
- 46.
Emphasis in the original.
- 47.
Emphasis in the original.
- 48.
Emphasis in the original.
- 49.
Garcia died during a diplomatic mission to the United States in New York on December 11, 1898 and his remains were brought to Cuba later.
- 50.
Fernando Freyre de Andrade (1863–1929).
- 51.
José María Rodríguez (1849–1903).
- 52.
Manuel de Quesada (1871–1939).
- 53.
Juan Gualberto Gómez (1854–1933).
- 54.
Enrique Collazo y Tejada (1848–1921).
- 55.
Avelino Rosas (1856–1901).
- 56.
Emphasis in the original.
Bibliography
Archival Material
Clara Barton papers, 1805–1958, Library of Congress.
Works Cited
Carlson, Paul H. “Pecos Bill”: A Military Biography of William R. Shafter. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1989.
Carter, William H. The Life of Lieutenant General Chaffee. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1917.
Eisenhower, John S. D. Teddy Roosevelt and Leonard Wood: Partners in Command. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2014.
Lane, Jack C. Armed Progressive: General Leonard Wood. San Rafael, CA: Presidio Press, 1978.
Morse, Kathryn Taylor. The Nature of Gold: An Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2003.
Roosevelt, Theodore. The Rough Riders. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1899.
Rovirosa, Dolores. Calixto Garcia: A Tentative Bibliography. Miami, FL: Ediciones Universal, 1980.
Sherry, Patrick M. “A Brief History of the 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry”. http://www.spanamwar.com/3rdGeorgia.htm (last access, November 12, 2016).
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Kennan, G. (2018). CUBA AND THE CUBANS. In: Jacob, F. (eds) George Kennan on the Spanish-American War. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67453-7_2
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