A History of the Cuban-American Embargo

For a long time, the United States and Cuba had a tremendous trade relationship. The US purchased Cuban sugar by the millions of tons and Cuba bought a ton of goods from the US. It was a firm relationship between the two. However, things began to deteriorate in 1958 when Fidel Castro and his rebels waged war against the Batista government. This declaration of war resulted in Fidel Castro becoming the supreme ruler of Cuba for the next 40+ years.
A lot of people know only that the embargo is what it is because that's the way it has been for so long. However, where did it all come from? It all started when the Cuban government, after Batista was forced into exile, aligned with the Soviet Union. The United States had stopped purchasing over seven million tons of sugar from the Cubans and in return, the Soviet Union told Cuba that they'd purchase it. They also told Cuba that they'd sell weapons to them, something the United States had said they wouldn't do.
Both of these acts forced Cuba to join with the Eastern Bloc nations and further segregate the United States from its once Latin ally. When Batista was in control, a lot of American businesses had operations in Cuba because it was a growing, fledging economy in the Caribbean. When Fidel Castro took over, he nationalized the entire country which included the American businesses which further infuriated the government in America.
Things got worse, though, when people were banned from traveling to and from Cuba. Cubans that left Cuba were not allowed to go back to Cuba and they were not allowed to send money or gifts to any of their family in Cuba. In essence, there were no discussions between Cuba and the United States. There was just hate.
These days, there are often talks of getting rid of the Cuban embargo. There is a considerable amount of money to be made for both countries if trade opens up and with trade opening up, there might be pushes to get a more constitutional government. However, for that to happen, there needs to be pushes to get rid of the embargo.
Fidel Castro and his brother have used the embargo as a way of creating a scapegoat and a means to prove why America is evil. Once that evil party is removed, the Cuban people may make it more of a priority to get changes made in their country. It's a start.