In 1515, the Spanish established Villa de San Cristóbel de la Habana as their first town in Cuba because of the large, natural bay. Five years later, they created the Port of Havana to harbor their Fleet of the Indies during their trade voyages between Spain and the New World. Soon their treasure-laden ships attracted pirates. To defend against the attacks, the Spaniards built four fortresses from 1590 through 1774. On the right is one of them: Castle of the Morro. In 1898, the battleship USS Maine exploded and sunk in the harbor. This aggression sparked the Spanish-American War, leading to the end of Spanish control.
