The "Ten Year War," started in 1868 ended in 1878 with the
so-called "Peace of Zanjón." For the next few years Cubans
lived with ever increasing convictions that the autonomy promised by Spain
was a farce. There was no adequate representation of Cuba in the Spanish
Parliament and the residents of the island were burdened by onerous taxation.
A large contingent of Cubans had gone into exile to different countries
during the Ten Year War and its aftermath and, rather than returning, they
organized and contributed money and talent to a new military effort for
final liberation and independence.
The mastermind, chief organizer, stirring orator, incomparable motivator
of somewhat resettled Cubans in other lands, was José Martí, who lived in New York City.
Martí arranged for the date of the insurrection to be the 24th
of February of 1895. Two generals that had fought in the Ten Year War returned
from exile to command the new effort: General Máximo Gómez
came from the Dominican Republic and General Antonio Maceo came from Costa
Rica. Martí, with no military experience, also came but was soon
killed in battle on the 19th of May.
From 1895 to 1898 the Cuban Insurgent Army had marched from the eastern
to the western part of the island, conquering two thirds of the national
territory (mostly the countryside) and laying siege to many cities,
Spain, on their part, mounted a supreme effort in order not to lose
its last large colony of the New World. More than 275,000 Spanish soldiers
were sent to Cuba. The governor-generals that Spain sent to Cuba, especially
Valeriano Weyler (known as "The Butcher") imposed a policy of
repression and extreme cruelty on the civilian population. The war and the
repression resulted in a distressing datum: more than 20% of the Cuban population
was lost in the War of Independence.
Testimonies regarding this period of time are listed below
who lived in New York City.