A

Resistance Across the Americas: Taínos, Maroons, and Mesoamerican Revolts

Taínos and Caribbean Resistance

  • Columbus's arrival sparked Indigenous resistance.

  • Key events: Navidad fortress destroyed by Taíno chief Caonabo; 39 Spaniards killed.

  • Scope: Spread across Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cuba, lasting >20 years.

  • Takeaway: Taíno communities resisted Spanish imperial projects from the start.

Maroons of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic)

  • Tensions: Colonial records (circa 1587) show growing maroon raids, recruiting enslaved people.

  • Resistance: Fortifications, daily raids, evasion of Spanish authorities.

  • Outcome: By late 16th century, Spain held only Hispaniola's southeastern corner.

  • Significance: Maroon societies demonstrated sustained, self-directed resistance, reshaping island geopolitics.

Mesoamerican Resistance

  • Cupul Uprising (Maya): Nov 1546 – Mar 1547, major Indigenous rebellion.

  • Chichimeca War: Started ~1550, extended conflict with nomadic Chichimecas. Ended 1590 with Spanish peace terms (food, clothing, tax exemption).

  • Pattern: Indigenous resistance included uprisings and negotiated settlements for autonomy.

Gaspar Yanga and the Palenques

  • First prominent enslaved African resistance: Palenques in Veracruz's coastal highlands.

  • Yanga's palenque: Formed 1570 by Gaspar Yanga and Africans escaping Veracruz sugar fields. Lasted ~30 years, self-sufficient, included mestizo and Indigenous peoples.

  • Leadership: Francisco de la Matiza organized resistance and raids.

  • Spanish response: Viceroy Luis de Velasco sent Capitán Pedro González de Herrera in 1609 to destroy the palenque. Settlement destroyed, but Yanga's resistance persisted.

  • Notable: Spanish military failed to fully apprehend Yanga; palenque's systems endured. Small group outlasted modern military.

  • Diplomacy: Yanga's camp forced Crown negotiations, securing favorable peace terms.

The Yanga Treaty: The First Free Town in the Americas

  • Negotiation: Spanish envoys met with Yanga, resulting in an 11-item peace treaty (Yanga's demands).

  • Core demand: Freedom and right to establish a free town (San Lorenzo de Los Negros) protecting Yangans from Spanish tyranny.

  • Outcome: Led to the first free town in the Americas: San Lorenzo de Los Negros (later Yanga).

  • Significance: Document reflected Yanga's leadership and vision for self-determination.

  • **