The Spanish crown in the early sixteenth century becomes increasingly intrigued with the possibility of finding gold in Cuba, following Christopher Columbus's discovery of the island in 1492.

Spanish officials, desirous of increasing their labor supply as well as exploring possible new sources of wealth, also begin to look toward Cuba.

Columbus's son, Diego Columbus, who has been appointed governor of the Indies in 1508 and lives in Hispaniola, is particularly interested in extending the territory under his control.

As a preliminary step toward colonization, Nicolas de Ovando (governor of Hispaniola, 1502-9) sends an expedition headed by Sebastian de Ocampo that circumnavigates Cuba in 1508; he brings back tales of wealth and a more detailed picture of the island's fine terrain and harbors.

Velazquez sets out to pacify Cuba and end the abuses against the natives.

He induces groups of natives to lay down their weapons and work near the several new towns that he establishes throughout the island.

Among these are Baracoa, Bayamo, Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus, La Habana (hereafter, Havana), Puerto Principe, and Santiago de Cuba.

In this task, Velasquez is decisively aided by the work of Bartolome de Las Casas.

The Dominican friar precede the Spaniards into native villages on many occasions and succeeds in persuading the indigenous peoples to cooperate with the conquistadors.

Las Casas, however, is horrified by the massacre of the natives and becomes an outspoken critic of the conquest of Cuba.

He writes extensively, condemning the Spaniards' cruelty and claiming that the natives are rational and free and therefore entitled to retain their lands.

The Spanish had begun to create permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola, east of Cuba, soon after Columbus' arrival in the Caribbean, but the coast of Cuba is not fully mapped until 1509, when Sebastián de Ocampo completes this task.

Under the authority of the Governor of Hispaniola, Ocampo had sailed along the northern coast of the island through the Old Bahama Channel and around the western point, Cape San Antonio.

The voyage has taken eight months, and is against the Gulf Stream.

Europeans had already frequented Cuba by the time Ocampo embarked on his journey, but his circumnavigation has confirmed that the area is indeed surrounded by water, and not a peninsula as was speculated.

Ocampo returns to Hispaniola with news of the body of water that lies beyond.

Before that, and after Christopher Columbus's discovery of the Antilles, several maps portray what latter-day interpreters have assumed to be the Gulf of Mexico, thereby disputing the actual discovery date.

Hundreds of thousands Tainos living on the island of Hispaniola had been enslaved to work in gold mines.

In 1501, the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand I and Isabella, had first granted permission to the colonists of the Caribbean to import African slaves, which began arriving to the island in 1503.

In 1510, the first sizable shipment, consisting of two hundred and fifty Black Ladinos, arrives in Hispaniola from Spain.