In December 2014 President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced plans to restore diplomatic relations, which had been cut since 1961. Embassies reopened in July 2015.
In March 2016 Obama traveled to Havana, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.
Baseball Diplomacy
During the trip Obama and Castro attended an exhibition baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team.
The Debate
Supporters saw the opening as a way to encourage change through engagement, while critics argued it rewarded the Cuban government. Later administrations rolled back some of the changes.
Learn More
For primary sources, explore the Obama White House archives maintained by the National Archives, the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and presidential history collections at your local library. Reading accounts from supporters and critics alike gives the fullest picture of any presidency.
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