Antonio Maceo and the Cuban Revolution

IN THE UTE t8<?OS, CUBA WAS A HOTBED OP BEBELUON, AS BOOB BUCK PEASANTS JOINED WEALTHY NATIVE-BOBN WHITES TO UBEBATE THE CABIBBEAN ISLAND PBOM THE SBIP OP FOUR CENTUBIES OP SPANISH OCCUPATION. IT WAS AN UNEASY AUJANCE. PBEED FROM THE SHACKLES OF SUVEBY BUT NOT BACISM OB EXPLOITATION, BLACKS SAW A FBEE CUBA, CU54 UBRE. AS THEIB PATH TO EOUAUTY. BEVOLUTIONABY WHITES FEABED A TAKEOVEB BY THE BLACK MAJOBITY BUT KNEW THAT INDEPENDENCE COULD NOT BE WON WITHOUT THEM.

BEVOLTS MAC SPBUN6 UP IN THE PAST MOST NOTABLY THE TEN YEAfiS' NAR, WHICH EBUPTED IN IB6B WHEN CA>?LOS MANUEL DE CESPESDES. BACKED BY OTHEB WHITE FABMEBS IN OBIENTE PBOVINCE, FBEED HIS SUVES AND ANNOUNCED THE BRITO DE YARA.’ DECUBINS CUBA'S INDEPENDENCE.

THE WAfi ENDED WITH AN 187B CEASE-FIBE. SPAIN BETAINED CONTBOL OF CUBA. THOUSH SUVEBY WAS OFFICIALLY ABOLISHED IN 1886, LITTLE CHAN6ED FOB BLACKS. _

THE UBEBATION MOVEMENT CONTINUED TO FESTEB ON THE HOME FBONT, WHILE EXILED LEADEBS OF THE TEN YEABS' WAB LAID PLANS FOP THE NEXT WAB OF INDEPENDENCE. AMONG THEM WAS ANTONIO MACEO QRAJALES, THE LEGENDABY BUCK GENEBAL WHOSE EXPLOITS WOULD EABN HIM THE TITLE BRONZE TITAN.

COSTA RICA, FEBRUARY 1895..

GENERAL A4AX/MO GOMEZ, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE UBERATING ARMY, INFORMED MACEO OF THE OUTBREAK OF THE NEW WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. -

MABCH 31, 1895: .MACEO'S SCHOONER WAS DESTROYED IN A STORM ON OJBA S EASTERN SHORE

WE MUST LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, SENERAL. TKE SPANISH KNOW YOU ARE HERE.

MACEO LED A SMALL GROUP OP GUERRILLAS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS TO A REBEL CAMP IN THE GUANT/INAMO DISTRICT.

MAY 4. 1895: SENERAL GOMEZ AND JC?5f MART!. LEADER OF THE CUBAN RB/OUmONARY PARTY, MET WITH MACEO TO DECIDE ON WAR STRATEGY.

MAY N, t8<15...

SEPTEMBEft 13,1895: REVOLUTIONARY DELEGATES MET IN CAAMGUEY AND CREATED THE NEW CUBAN REPUBUC. WHITE ARISTOCRAT SALVADOR CISNEROS BETANCOURT WAS NAMED PRESIDENT. MAXIMO GOMEZ BECAME GENERAL-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY AND MACEO HIS SECOND IN COMA4AND.

OCTOBER 22, mS. MACEO AND SOME2 LAUNCHED THE INVASION OF THE WEST. BY JANUARY 189€, THE UBERATION ARMY - VASTLY OUTNUMBERED BY HEAVILY ARMED SPANISH SOLDIERS - HAD FOUGHT 27 BATTLES IN AN 800-MILE TREK FROM ORIENTE TO PINAR DEL RIO. i

AS GOMEZ HAD INSISTED, THE INVASION BROUGHT THE WAR TO THE RICH LANDOWNERS OF THE WEST.

PINAR DEL RIO, OCTOBER 29. 1896..

MACEO TRAVELED EAST, ON DECEMBER 7, SPANISH TROOPS ATTACKED HIS CAMP NEAR HAVANA...