If you were to ask any 21st-century American about Cuba, most of the stories that would come to mind would be those of the Missile Crisis, the world on the brink of nuclear collapse, and the repression of freedoms against the island’s inhabitants by a socialist tyranny. And they are right.

But the rich connections between the island and the United States are not limited to the last 70 tumultuous years. There is a whole current of prior ties, in which solidarity and alliance between regional neighbors prevailed.

We discussed these with Cuban-American historian Octavio de la Suarée, who for years was a professor and head of the Department of Language, Literature, and Culture at William Paterson University in New Jersey, and who presides over the Cuban Academy of History in Exile. Here is part of that long conversation on the 250th anniversary of the United States.

In what ways did Cubans contribute to the American Revolutionary War?

The contribution of Cubans to the American Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1783 was very important, although often underappreciated. As a Spanish colony, and given its proximity to the United States, Cuba supported the Thirteen Colonies through Spain, which officially entered the war against Great Britain in 1779.

Their contributions are highlighted in various ways, but perhaps the most poetic of all was the famous collection by the ladies of Havana, whose donations helped finance the military campaign that culminated in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, considered decisive for the American victory. Several sources refer to the large quantity of personal jewelry that, when sold, helped reach the sums required to finance that battle.

Another substantial economic foundation was the large sums of money that were collected from all over Havana to help finance the independence army.

Likewise, another significant military reinforcement was the fact that Cuba served as a strategic base for operations against the British in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Cuban troops, militias, and resources participated in campaign actions such as the capture of Pensacola, which weakened the British.

And among the logistical support was the location of Cuban ports on the island, from where weapons, gunpowder, food, and medicine were sent to the American rebels. Similarly, Havana was a key naval supply center for the Allied Forces against England.

There were figures who stood out at that historical moment, right?

Yes. I’m only going to mention two key Hispanic figures in the American Revolutionary War against the British.

Bernardo Gálvez, for example, was an essential figure in the independence of the United States, although he is little known in this country. This Spanish politician and military leader was born in Macharaviana, Spain, near Málaga, in 1746, and distinguished himself as a military strategist during the war between Spain and Great Britain. He was governor of Spanish Louisiana during the conflict and fought against the British on many occasions. Gálvez decisively aided the Thirteen Colonies, without openly declaring it at the beginning, by sending arms, gunpowder, money, and supplies to the rebels, which he received from Havana.

Later, he participated in and led important military campaigns against the British, including those of Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Pensacola in 1781. In the latter, he led a very risky naval attack, and it was there that he acquired his motto, “Yo solo” (I alone), because he sailed his ship where other military personnel thought it was impossible. These victories not only expelled the English from the region but also prevented the rebels from being attacked from the south. Gálvez ended his brilliant career as Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico).

In 2014, the United States Congress named him an Honorary Citizen of the United States (a very rare honor). There is a statue of Bernardo de Gálvez in Washington, D.C., near the State Department.

The other important figure was Juan Mirallés, an 18th-century Spanish merchant and diplomat, known for his role during the American Revolutionary War. In short, he was the main informal liaison between Spain and the American revolutionaries.

Mirallés was born in Spain and later settled in Havana, which at that time was a key center of Spanish trade. He quickly became a wealthy merchant with extensive networks in the Caribbean and North America.

He was a personal friend of George Washington and lived for a time very close to the headquarters of the Continental Army. From there, he discreetly helped channel financial support, supplies, and weapons to the rebels. At the same time, he served as an observer and political advisor for Spain, reporting on the war’s progress.

Juan de Mirallés died in 1780, during the war. George Washington attended his funeral, a very significant gesture that shows the respect he had for him. Although not very well known today, Mirallés was a substantial figure in the secret diplomacy that helped make American independence successful and a reality.

In short, although Cuba did not participate directly as an independent nation, its economic, military, and logistical support was crucial to the triumph of the American colonies.

Without these resources, especially in the final stage of the conflict, the independence of the United States would have been much more difficult to achieve.

Now, let’s change direction. In the Cuban wars of independence in the 19th century, several North American names stand out. But perhaps the most well-known is Henry Reeve, also known as “the little Englishman.” What is his story?

Many Americans participated in the Cuban Wars of Independence, and among the most prominent names are Thomas Jordan, a general of the Confederate States, who served as Chief of Staff of the Mambí Army in 1869; Colonel Federico Fernández Cavada of the Union Army, who was commander-in-chief of the Mambí Army for a time; his brother Adolfo, who was a colonel; and W.A.C. Ryan, executed in Santiago de Cuba, among others.

We also have Henry Mike Reeve Carroll — who was a brigadier general in the Liberating Army during the Ten Years’ War (1868-1878), the First War of Independence of Cuba — proclaimed against Spanish colonialism by the Father of the Nation, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, with the Grito de Yara (Cry of Yara) at his La Demajagua estate on October 10, 1868. He is also known as the first president of the Republic of Cuba in Arms.

Henry Reeve, for his part, was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 4, 1850, and participated as a drummer boy for the Union Army from a very young age in the American Civil War (1861-1865), where he developed a strong opposition to slavery. Three years later, upon learning of the revolution in Cuba against Spain, he felt compelled to join the Mambí Army.

Is it true that he didn’t speak Spanish?

Yes. Although he didn’t speak a word of Spanish, Reeve boarded the steamship “Perrit” in 1869 under the alias Henry Earl and arrived on the Cuban coast at the port of Nipe, eight months after the war began. The next day, he engaged the enemy in combat, where he was captured along with several other expedition members, and they were taken to be executed.

Reeve was shot four times, the bullets piercing his body, but fortunately, none of them hit a vital organ. He regained consciousness later and managed to escape his captors at night. He wandered aimlessly for two days until he found the Mambí detachment of General Luis Figueredo at El Mejías camp, where he received medical attention.

The following month, the American received the rank of Second Sergeant in the Mambí Army, and in October of the same year, he was appointed aide-de-camp to General Thomas Jourdan. Jourdan, however, resigned shortly afterward, and the young man joined the 1st Cavalry Squadron of the Northern Brigade of Camagüey under the command of Brigadier General Cristóbal Acosta. Throughout that year, he participated in several encounters with the enemy, including the battles of Tana, Imías, and Jagua, where he was wounded again.

Reeve fought on the island under the command of the legendary lawyer who fought in some 100 battles, Ignacio Agramonte, correct?

In March 1871, Reeve was transferred to Ignacio Agramonte’s cavalry unit with the rank of captain. He fought in the battles of Estrada and Mulato before taking part in the rescue of Brigadier General Manuel Sanguily on October 8, 1871, leading a machete charge of Agramonte’s cavalry against superior Spanish forces. Agramonte had selected a small group of 35 horsemen, led by Commander Reeve, to carry out the daring rescue, which resulted in a resounding success.

Later, the young commander participated in the battles of Plátano, La Redonda, San Ramón de Pacheco, Santa Deo, La Matilde, and Sitio Potrero, and, in November 1871, he was wounded again. The following year, on November 29, 1872, he received an abdominal wound during the Battle of Le Carmen, an injury that would cause him problems for the rest of his life.

In 1873, Reeve participated in the battles that took place in Ciego de Najasa, Soledad de Pacheco, and Cocal del Olimpo. His daring and valor in the Battle of Jimaguayú on May 11, 1873, in which Ignacio Agramonte died, earned him even more distinctions. During this battle, Reeve briefly assumed command of Agramonte’s division, later handing it over to General Julio Sanguily. When Agramonte died in Jimaguayú, Reeve already held the rank of colonel.

After the death of Ignacio Agramonte, Reeve was reassigned to the command of Major General Máximo Gómez and was appointed Chief of Cavalry for the First Division on July 27, 1873. Gómez described Reeve as an exceptional officer, highlighting “his proven courage, his tireless dedication, and his strict military discipline.”