A unique collection of maps and documents has brought to light a fascinating and lesser-known aspect of early 20th-century American history: the McKinley Colony in Cuba.
This collection, comprising 11 items—seven maps, two bond certificates, a promotional brochure, and a letter—reveals the ambitions and challenges faced by American settlers who sought to create a new life on the Isle of Pines, now known as Isla de la Juventud, between 1904 and 1911.
At the turn of the century, a significant migration of U.S. citizens occurred as they ventured to this small island off the southwestern coast of Cuba. The settlers purchased real estate in hopes of establishing farms, schools, and social clubs, and their dreams extended to potentially annexing the area to the United States.
The maps in the collection illustrate one of the largest population centers, aptly named the McKinley Colony, in honor of President William McKinley, a prominent figure in American expansionism during that era. The colony aimed to be situated between two rivers and centered around what were designated as McKinley and West McKinley.
Historically, Isla de la Juventud had seen a diverse range of activities since Christopher Columbus first encountered it in 1494. Over the years, it was under Spanish control, serving variously as a hideout for pirates, a penal colony, a vacation spot for affluent Spanish colonials, and a military base.
The geopolitical landscape dramatically shifted with the Spanish-American War of 1898, during which the United States intervened in Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain. While this war resulted in the expulsion of Spanish rule, it also introduced complexities regarding Cuban sovereignty, particularly concerning the Isle of Pines, which was left somewhat ambiguous in the Platt Amendment of 1901.
In the wake of this war, enterprising American business interests began acquiring land on the Isle of Pines, seizing the opportunity for land speculation. By 1925, U.S. citizens had purchased an astounding 90 percent of the island’s arable land.
The maps created during the early development stages of the McKinley Colony (1906-1914) reveal ambitious plans. Marked by grids and familiar layouts reminiscent of towns back in the United States, these maps not only served as practical guides but also as advertisements, marketing the island as a tropical paradise.
For those weary of industrial life in the United States, the colony promised a return to an idealized existence filled with fresh air, citrus trees, and opportunities for transformation away from drudgery. This representation of the Isle of Pines painted a vibrant picture, inviting prospective buyers to embrace the romanticized idea of their own ‘Rooseveltian adventure’ in a lush environment.
In this ambitious venture, settlers established American-style schools and social clubs, utilized the U.S. dollar, and cultivated a somewhat strained relationship with the local Cuban population, all in hopes of reinforcing their claim to make the Isle of Pines an official part of the United States. By this strategy, proponents envisioned a thriving tourism spot for American winter vacationers along with a modern agricultural economy to supply the increasing demand for citrus back in the states.
At its peak in the 1910s, the McKinley Colony boasted a population of around 2,000 American residents, and many maps from this period prominently showcased McKinley as a notable location on Cuba’s maps. Nevertheless, the landscape of hopes began to shift in 1925 when the Hay-Quesada Treaty resolved the question of sovereignty in favor of Cuba.
Thus, the grand ambitions behind the McKinley Colonies never materialized as hoped. The Isle of Pines presented its own set of challenges for new settlers; clearing land proved far more arduous than promotional literature had suggested, agriculture initiatives faltered, hurricanes wreaked havoc, and political climates unfurled against the interests of these settler communities.
These maps tell a story of lofty ambitions entangled in the realities of settling a foreign land. While the dream of a thriving colony seemed tangible for a while, nature, bureaucratic protocols in Washington, D.C., and broader geopolitical trends contributed to the eventual decline of the McKinley Colony.
Fast forward to 2025, and satellite imagery of Isla de la Juventud reveals remnants of this once-hopeful settlement. Old roads crisscross empty fields in the midst of being reclaimed by nature, with visible scars of former town grids that hint at the pursuits of those who once lived there.
Today, McKinley itself is reduced to historical memory, preserved only in century-old maps and the recollections of those who experienced this transitory moment in American history.
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