History

history

Matanzas is the second largest province in Cuba. It was a province that has held both strategic and economic importance throughout Cuba’s history. Not only was it the main area of defense during the Spanish-Cuban War, the area also had a vast amount of sugar mills and operated as a main hub within the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Matanzas is one of the only places in Cuba where all African cultures meet. Approximately 1.3 million slaves passed through Matanzas, with approximately 200,000 a year recorded at the height of the Transatlantic slave trade. These figures should likely be trebled given the fact that thousands of enslaved persons were not recorded upon their arrival in Matanzas. The rebel spirit ran deep within enslaved peoples all throughout Matanzas. Carlota, an enslaved woman, rebelled against her master and although the attempt was unsuccessful, her courage and valor sparked the uprising at surrounding sugar mills in Matanzas Province. Those who were enslaved continued to rebel by finding creative and innovative ways to resist, especially by keeping their sacred traditions and practices during this oppressive time period. Some of these ways included identifying a saint from the Catholic faith and matching it up with the Orisha god from African religions that had similar traits. Now, hundreds of years later, Matanzas is embracing its African heritage through the city’s consistent dedication to the preservation of art, culture, and history. Matanzas, a cultural epicenter for Cuba in a similar way Athens was for Greece, has museums, sculptures, and street art that pay homage to the African roots of its citizens. Matanzas is a historical wonder and is definitely a must-add to any upcoming travel lists.

carlota

Carlota, an enslaved woman, spearheaded the Rebellion of Triunvirato on November 5, 1843. It was one of the most important events to occur in Matanzas, and although the slaves’ objectives were not reached, the rebellion served as a catalyst to other slave uprising and, eventually, the end of slavery in Cuba. Carlota not only inspired slaves who worked in the surrounding sugar mills to rise up and rebel against their masters, but has also served as a great source of inspiration for freedom and strength for the Cuban people after her demise. Her heroism is kept alive in Cuba through statues, paintings, and stories of her valor that can be found across the island, but especially in her home in Triunvirato.