✊🏾🇨🇺 Afro-Cuban History Lesson 📖 ⠀ ⠀ Christopher Colombus arrived in 🇨🇺 on the 28th of October in 1492, claiming the area as isla Juana.⠀ ⠀ Natives that inhabited the area included; Taino, Guanahatabey, & Ciboney.⠀ ⠀ Impressed by what he saw, he returned to Spain to report his findings taking w/ him natives & sugar cane. Leaving behind the first settlers who captured Taínos for labor, the Taínos resisted but died of disease, strenuous work, or killed. ⠀ ⠀ Impressed by Colombus, Spain requested that he head back for more riches. Spanish colonist/priest, Bartolomé de las Casas, persuaded royals to halt the use of native labor and instead use Africans. Claiming Africans were better suited for hard work, stronger, immune to disease, and worked well in the heat. His pleas were granted.⠀ ⠀ Africans were imported and forced to work mainly in the production of sugar, nicknamed “white gold” The work required: planting, harvesting, processing into panela, & transporting. The average live expectancy was a mere 7yrs, many faced heat exhaustion, heart attacks, & strokes.⠀ ⠀ With the arrival of the British colony, an additional 4,000 West Africans were brought to the island.⠀ ⠀ At one point 🇨🇺 produced 40% of the world’s sugar.⠀ ⠀ By the 1600s 3 major exports were produced by enslaved Africans: Sugar, Rum & Tobacco.⠀ ⠀ In 1770 there were 39k Africans in 🇨🇺, by 1850 closer to 436k, causing rebellions to occur frequently: ▪️ 1843: Led by Carlota Lucumí also known as La Negra Carlota, against her Spanish abusers⠀ ▪️ 1868: Plantation owner, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes who upon learning about the end of slavery in the US, led a rebellion against Spain, for independence. Cespedes freed his slaves to join him in the battle known today as the10 Years’ War.⠀ ⠀ On Oct. 7, 1886 slavery was abolished in 🇨🇺⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 📸 NYPL Digital Collection⠀ 📖 Cuba in the Raw