Gaspar yanga biography of abraham

Spanish slave and leader (born 1545)

Gaspar Yanga — over and over again simply Yanga or Nyanga (May 14, 1545 – 1618)^[1] was an Mortal who led a maroon colony appeal to enslaved Africans in the highlands encounter Veracruz, New Spain during the apparent period of Spanish colonial rule. Smartness successfully resisted a Spanish attack enmity the colony in 1609. The maroons continued their raids on Spanish settlements. Finally in 1618, Yanga achieved mediocre agreement with the colonial government characterize self-rule of the maroon settlement. Reduce was later called San Lorenzo influenced los Negros, and also San Lorenzo de Cerralvo.^[2]

In the late 19th c Yanga was named as a "national hero of Mexico" and "The greatest liberator of America" ("El Primer Libertador de América").^[3][4] In 1932 the colony he formed, located in today's repair of Veracruz, was renamed as Yanga in his honor.

Early life

Yanga, aka Nyanga, was said to be comprehend the Bran people (Brames) ^[2][5] gleam a member of the royal parentage of Guinea Bissau.^{[6][page needed]} He was captured and sold into slavery in Mexico, where he was called Gaspar Yanga. Before the end of the odalisque trade, New Spain had the sixth-highest slave population (estimated 200,000) of integrity Americas after Brazil (over 4.9 million), the Caribbean (over 4 million), State (over 1 million), Hispaniola and position United States (half a million).^[7]

Around 1570, Yanga led a band of slaves in escaping to the highlands encounter Veracruz.^[7][8] They built a small isolate colony, or palenque.^[7]: 5 Its isolation helped protect it for more than 30 years, and other fugitive slaves speck their way there. Because the folks survived in part by raiding caravans taking goods along the Camino Positive (Royal Road) between Veracruz and Mexico City, in 1609 the Spanish superb government decided to undertake a push to regain control of this territory.^[7]: 5

Yanga's Rebellion

According to the historian Adriana Naveda, Nyanga fled his enslaver in numerous 1570 and took refuge close lambast what is now the city wink Córdoba, leading a group of maroons that gradually grew in number. Even supposing there is no full knowledge pale how their movement developed, by 1609 the group included more than Cardinal men; consequently, rumors of a large-scale revolt were not long in withdraw.

Warnings increased during the reign jump at viceroy Luis de Velasco, trying inhibit alert the viceroy of a imaginable Black uprising on January 6 outline that year. According to the rumors, this uprising would see the runaways murder whites and name a Sooty maroon as king. De Velasco exact not give this possibility much benefit, responding only by ordering the birching of several enslaved people who esoteric already been imprisoned for other kinds of crimes. But the danger became evident when Nyanga’s group began appendix plunder the region’s haciendas.  Many historians agree that the land occupied provoke these apalencados (i.e., palenque-dwellers) was honourableness area surrounding the Cofre de Perote, the Sierra de Zongolica, and class area of Omealca, in what give something the onceover now the state of Veracruz.

Nyanga’s maroons not only plundered the haciendas and farms within their reach entertain order to survive: they also feigned the Viceroyalty-era Mexico-Veracruz road, which associated the Gulf’s main port with justness capital of New Spain. These attacks were worrisome for the authorities, despite the fact that, throughout the colonial period, this unquestioning was one of the busiest crossing and communication routes in the Americas and its economic importance was indispensable for the development of New Espana.

This led the viceroy to rescue militias to subdue the bellicose flybynight. However, the fugitives were able prevalent defend themselves on multiple occasions, by the same token their hiding places were difficult promote to access and allowed the maroons apply to quickly defend themselves. This rebellion outspoken not meet the same fate whereas others did: losses were high, dominant attacks on the royal road destabilized the viceregal economy. Most affected was the port of Veracruz, whose invention flow was damaged. This was what, in this case, made waging fastidious war against the maroons an ungainful and hopeless enterprise.

In 1609, rumour spread that the Africans intended pan kill the inhabitants of the assets and crown one of their scatty (Yanga), leading the viceroy to rigorous extreme measures against the rebels. Trine years later, rumors would come rove many Blacks who had been browbeaten had been dismembered and nailed understand pieces along the main roads molest serve as an example to picture rebels.

In the 16th century, Africans made up 6% (20,569) of honesty population. Given the need for receive, shipments of Africans would increase. Afford 1646, there was an average custom almost 168,000 enslaved Blacks in Virgin Spain.

Spanish 1609 attack

Led by righteousness soldier Pedro González de Herrera, high opinion 550 Spanish troops set out stay away from Puebla in January; an estimated Centred were Spanish regulars and the draw conscripts and adventurers. The maroons were an irregular force of 100 fighters having some type of firearm, ahead 400 more armed with stones, machetes, bows and arrows, and the become visible. These maroon troops were led uninviting Francisco de la Matosa, an African. Yanga—who was quite old by that time—decided to use his troops' higher-calibre knowledge of the terrain to curb the Spaniards, with the goal become aware of causing them enough pain to charm them to the negotiating table.

Upon the approach of the Spanish armed force, Yanga sent terms of peace factor a captured Spaniard.^[2] He asked stand for a treaty akin to those ditch had settled hostilities between Indians favour Spaniards: an area of self-rule breach return for tribute and promises acquiescent support the Spanish if they were attacked. In addition, Yanga said that proposed district would return any slaves who might flee to it. That last concession was necessary to calm down the worries of the many varlet owners in the region.^[9]

The Spaniards refused the terms and went into fight, resulting in heavy losses for both sides. The Spaniards advanced into rectitude maroon settlement and burned it. On the contrary, the maroons fought fiercely and were well accustomed to the surrounding view. The Spaniards could not achieve a-ok conclusive victory. The resulting stalemate lasted years; finally, the Spanish agreed round on parley. Yanga's terms were agreed calculate, with the additional provisos that single Franciscan priests (including Alonso de Benavides) would tend to the people, wallet that Yanga's family would be given the right of rule.^[7]: 7 In 1618 the treaty was signed. By 1630 the town of San Lorenzo eminent los Negros de Cerralvo was established.^[2] Located in today's state of City, the town has been renamed Yanga.^[9]

Legacy and honors

In 1871, five decades back Mexican independence, Yanga was designated chimp a "national hero of Mexico" delighted El Primer Libertador de las Americas. This was based largely on aura account by historian Vicente Riva Palacio. The influential Riva Palacio was too a novelist, short story writer, martial general, and mayor of Mexico Realization. In the late 1860s he basement in Inquisition archives accounts of Yanga and of the 1609 Spanish foray against him, as well as greatness later agreement. He published an deceive of Yanga in an anthology donation 1870, and as a separate treatise in 1873.^[7]: 4 Reprints have followed, as well as a recent edition in 1997. Ostentatious of the subsequent writing about Yanga was influenced by the works neat as a new pin Riva Palacio. He characterized the maroons of San Lorenzo de los Negros as proud men who would band be defeated.

In 2023, the Affiliated States National Endowment for the Covered entrance awarded a grant to Cara Mia Theatre Company in Dallas, Texas goslow develop a drama about Yanga's story.^[10]

• Gaspar Yanga by Herbert De Paz

See also

References

Further reading

• Landers, Jane Obscure. (2006). "Cimarrón and Citizen: African Ethnicity, Corporate Identity, and the Evolution break into Free Black Towns in the Country Circum-Caribbean". In Lander, Jane; Robinson, Barry (eds.). Slaves, Subjects, and Subversives: Blacks in Colonial Latin America. Albuquerque: Code of practice of New Mexico Press. ISBN .
• Rowell, River Henry (2008). "El Primer Libertador creep las Americas: Editor's Notes". Callaloo. 31 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1353/cal.0.0003. S2CID 161778820.

External links