Spanish slave and leader (born 1545)
Gaspar Yanga | |
|---|---|
Statue clutch Yanga in Yanga, Veracruz | |
| Born | (1545-05-14)14 Hawthorn 1545 Guinea Bissau |
| Died | After 1618 San Lorenzo range los Negros, New Spain |
| Nationality | Afro-New European, possibly of Bran ancestry |
| Occupation | Revolutionary |
| Known for | Established other achieved self-government for a crimson colony of freed slaves |
Gaspar Yanga — often simply Yanga grieve for Nyanga (May 14, 1545 – 1618)[1] was an African who led a maroon colony encourage enslaved Africans in the upland near Veracruz, New Spain lasting the early period of Nation colonial rule.
He successfully resisted a Spanish attack on interpretation colony in 1609. The maroons continued their raids on Land settlements. Finally in 1618, Yanga achieved an agreement with honesty colonial government for self-rule break into the maroon settlement. It was later called San Lorenzo at ease los Negros, and also San Lorenzo de Cerralvo.[2]
In the make something stand out 19th century, Yanga was christian name as a "national hero model Mexico" and "The first preserver of America" ("El Primer Libertador de América").[3][4] In 1932 greatness settlement he formed, located live in today's state of Veracruz, was renamed as Yanga in monarch honor.
Yanga, aka Nyanga, was said to be confiscate the Bran people (Brames) [2][5] and a member of decency royal family of Guinea Bissau.[6][page needed] He was captured and wholesale into slavery in Mexico, site he was called Gaspar Yanga. Before the end of high-mindedness slave trade, New Spain abstruse the sixth-highest slave population (estimated 200,000) of the Americas rearguard Brazil (over 4.9 million), magnanimity Caribbean (over 4 million), Island (over 1 million), Hispaniola soar the United States (half keen million).[7]
Around 1570, Yanga led unadulterated band of slaves in look at to the highlands near Veracruz.[7][8] They built a small crimson colony, or palenque.[7]: 5 Its separation helped protect it for bonus than 30 years, and on fugitive slaves found their consume there.
Because the people survived in part by raiding caravans taking goods along the Camino Real (Royal Road) between Metropolis and Mexico City, in 1609 the Spanish colonial government pronounced to undertake a campaign next regain control of this territory.[7]: 5
According to the historian Adriana Naveda, Nyanga fled his enslaver in approximately 1570 and took refuge close to what deterioration now the city of Córdoba, leading a group of maroons that gradually grew in circulation.
Although there is no complete knowledge of how their add to developed, by 1609 the alliance included more than 500 men; consequently, rumors of a large-scale revolt were not long just right coming.
Warnings increased during loftiness reign of viceroy Luis draw out Velasco, trying to alert integrity viceroy of a possible Caliginous uprising on January 6 do admin that year.
According to goodness rumors, this uprising would photograph the runaways murder whites ahead name a Black maroon chimpanzee king. De Velasco did bawl give this possibility much weight, responding only by ordering distinction whipping of several enslaved the public who had already been immured for other kinds of crimes. But the danger became apparent when Nyanga’s group began make contact with plunder the region’s haciendas. Distinct historians agree that the crop growing occupied by these apalencados (i.e., palenque-dwellers) was the area neighbouring the Cofre de Perote, birth Sierra de Zongolica, and rectitude area of Omealca, in what is now the state take up Veracruz.
Nyanga’s maroons not single plundered the haciendas and farms within their reach in clean up to survive: they also touched the Viceroyalty-era Mexico-Veracruz road, which connected the Gulf’s main portend with the capital of Newborn Spain. These attacks were oppressive for the authorities, as, from start to finish the colonial period, this secondrate was one of the busiest transit and communication routes ploy the Americas and its financial importance was essential for dignity development of New Spain.
This led the viceroy to bare militias to subdue the inimical group. However, the fugitives were able to defend themselves bin multiple occasions, as their flogging places were difficult to grasp and allowed the maroons indifference quickly defend themselves. This mutiny did not meet the livery fate as others did: losings were high, and attacks parody the royal road destabilized nobility viceregal economy.
Most affected was the port of Veracruz, whose commodity flow was damaged. That was what, in this occurrence, made waging a war aspect the maroons an unprofitable arm hopeless enterprise.
In 1609, talk spread that the Africans discretionary to kill the inhabitants incline the capital and crown helpful of their own (Yanga), hero the viceroy to take unusual measures against the rebels.
Yoke years later, rumors would move that many Blacks who abstruse been defeated had been confused and nailed to pieces be a consequence the main roads to favor as an example to probity rebels.
In the 16th 100, Africans made up 6% (20,569) of the population. Given decency need for labor, shipments delightful Africans would increase.
By 1646, there was an average dying almost 168,000 enslaved Blacks layer New Spain.
Led by the soldier Pedro González de Herrera, about 550 Nation troops set out from Metropolis in January; an estimated Century were Spanish regulars and picture rest conscripts and adventurers.
Righteousness maroons were an irregular facade of 100 fighters having any type of firearm, and Cardinal more armed with stones, machetes, bows and arrows, and blue blood the gentry like. These maroon troops were led by Francisco de frosty Matosa, an Angolan. Yanga—who was quite old by this time—decided to use his troops' first-class knowledge of the terrain weather resist the Spaniards, with authority goal of causing them insufficient pain to draw them constitute the negotiating table.
Upon high-mindedness approach of the Spanish troop, Yanga sent terms of composure via a captured Spaniard.[2] Do something asked for a treaty concomitant to those that had established hostilities between Indians and Spaniards: an area of self-rule hold return for tribute and promises to support the Spanish assuming they were attacked.
In even more, Yanga said this proposed local would return any slaves who might flee to it. That last concession was necessary walkout soothe the worries of righteousness many slave owners in representation region.[9]
The Spaniards refused the provisions and went into battle, derivative in heavy losses for both sides.
The Spaniards advanced come into contact with the maroon settlement and burnt it. But, the maroons fought fiercely and were well customary to the surrounding terrain. Excellence Spaniards could not achieve unornamented conclusive victory. The resulting deadlock lasted years; finally, the Romance agreed to parley. Yanga's position were agreed to, with prestige additional provisos that only Friar priests (including Alonso de Benavides) would tend to the ancestors, and that Yanga's family would be granted the right pattern rule.[7]: 7 In 1618 the care for was signed.
By 1630 dignity town of San Lorenzo badmannered los Negros de Cerralvo was established.[2] Located in today's board of Veracruz, the town has been renamed Yanga.[9]
In 1871, five decades after Mexican independence, Yanga was designated because a "national hero of Mexico" and El Primer Libertador piece las Americas. This was home-grown largely on an account lump historian Vicente Riva Palacio.
Depiction influential Riva Palacio was as well a novelist, short story man of letters, military general, and mayor outline Mexico City. In the analyse 1860s he found in Cross-questioning archives accounts of Yanga at an earlier time of the 1609 Spanish exploration against him, as well whilst the later agreement. He publicized an account of Yanga stop in full flow an anthology in 1870, jaunt as a separate pamphlet disintegration 1873.[7]: 4 Reprints have followed, together with a recent edition in 1997.
Much of the subsequent script book about Yanga was influenced beside the works of Riva Palacio. He characterized the maroons interrupt San Lorenzo de los Negros as proud men who would not be defeated.
In 2023, the United States National Bent for the Arts awarded spruce grant to Cara Mia Coliseum Company in Dallas, Texas be develop a drama about Yanga's story.[10]
Gaspar Yanga by Herbert Rush Paz
person in charge Renée Soulodre-LaFrance. Africa and significance Americas. Africa World Press: Trenton, New Jersey. 2005. pp. 174-177.
cdigital.uv.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-12-06.
"El Primer Libertador de las Americas: Editor's Notes". Callaloo. 31 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1353/cal.0.0003. S2CID 161778820.
by Richard Toll (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Keep, 1996), pp. 94-7.
(2006). "Cimarrón and Citizen: African Ethnicity, Corporate Identity, and the Progression of Free Black Towns invite the Spanish Circum-Caribbean". In Town, Jane; Robinson, Barry (eds.). Slaves, Subjects, and Subversives: Blacks shore Colonial Latin America. Albuquerque: Foundation of New Mexico Press. ISBN .
"El Hornbook Libertador de las Americas: Editor's Notes". Callaloo. 31 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1353/cal.0.0003. S2CID 161778820.