The United States gained control of Guantanamo Bay in 1903. Since that date it’s served a variety of purposes. It’s also seen its share of hunger strikes. Paul Kramer, a professor of history at Vanderbilt University and author of ‘The Blood of Government,’ wrote about the history of Guantanamo in a recent article for The New Yorker. He explains how the prior 9/11 use of the base has shaped its current role as as prison for detainees of the U.S. war on terror. (Photo: AP Images).