Gaspar Yanga & Slavery in MexicoThe first “Liberator” in

the New World

Mexico Today

“New Spain” Colonial Mexico

Hernan Cortes Conquers the

Aztecs

I. Slavery in Mexico• A. By the 1520s, Mexico had

approximately 6, 000 African slaves mainly along the Atlantic & Pacific Coasts

• B. African slaves worked in the “mines of silver mines of Zacatecas, Taxco, Guanajuato,”

• C. “On the sugar plantations of the Valle de Orizaba and Morelos”

• D. “The textile factories of Puebla and Oaxaca and in Mexico City”

• E. In homes, ranches, etc

I. Slavery in Mexico

I. Slavery in Mexico• F. Africans were allowed to intermarry

with other ethnic groups • G. Spanish Casta Painting document

“racial, class mobility & hierarchy” in Colonial Mexico

• H. Resulting in “Over 75 percent of modern Mexico's population, have at least one Indian or Mulatto ancestor. “

I. Slavery in Mexico#1 Peninsulares

Spanish_born in Spain

#2 Creoles (Criollos)Spanish born

in Latin America#3 Mestizoes (Euro &

Native) #4 Mulattoes (Euro &

African)#5 Zambos (African &

Native)#6 Native Americans #7 Africans & Filipinos

I. Slavery in Mexico

I. Slavery in Mexico• I. There were 30 Africans to 1

Spanish (European) person (30:1)• J. Slave uprisings were common:

• 1. 1540s in Mexico City• 2. 1560-1580s runaway African Zacatecas miners joined Chichmecan Indians in war against Spanish colonists• 3. Late1500s African Pachuca miners rose up & hid in caves

I. Slavery in Mexico• K. Maroons & Native Americans

were able to live & prosper with the protection of mountains & caves

I. Slavery in Mexico

III. Legacy of African Slavery• A. Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla & Guerrero have

sizable Afro-Mexican populations that originate from Spanish slavery

• B. Coahuila, Afro-Mexicans are descended from runaway slaves from the US

• C. Africans brought: 1. Son jarocho music & dance2. dishes such as frying plantains, cassava (yuca), using peanuts in dishes such as mole

•

II. Gaspar Yanga

II. Gaspar Yanga• A. Gaspar Yanga:

1. originally from West Africa2. 1570 organized a rebellion & an escape from a sugar cane plantation of Vera Cruz Mexico3. escaped to the El Pico Orizaba4. made alliances with other maroon cities & Native American cities in the mountains4. raided sugar & cattle haciendas & caravans en route to Mexico City

II. Gaspar Yanga

II. Gaspar Yanga ( Pico de Orizaba)

II. Gaspar Yanga• B. Gaspar’s War with the Spanish

1. Wanting to discourage slave rebellions & stop raids, in 1609 the Spanish sent troops to “crush” Yanga2. Fierce fighting took place with heavy

causalities on both sides

II. Gaspar Yanga3. A cease fire resulted in:

1. Yanga & his people would surrender in return for freedom, cultivable land & self government2. Not take anymore runaway slaves2. Freedom for other maroon cities in the mountains3. Franciscan priests would attend to his people4. Yanga would be king again & leadership would be inherited down to his children

II. Gaspar Yanga• C. 1618, the

Yangans asked for a better location, which was called “San Lorenzo de los Negros”

• D. It was renamed Yanga in 1956

II. Gaspar Yanga