José Martí

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For other persons named José Martí, see José Martí (disambiguation).

José Julián Martí Pérez (January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a leader of the Cuban independence movement as well as a renowned poet and writer. He is considered the Cuban people's National hero. He is often referred to as the Apostle of Cuban Independence.

José Martí

José Martí was born on January 28, 1853, in Havana, to a Spanish father Mariano Martí Navarro and Leonor Pérez Cabrera, a native of the Canary islands. Marti was the oldest brother to seven sisters. When he was four years old, his family moved from Cuba to Valencia, Spain, but two years later they returned to the island where they enrolled José at a local public school. In this school, he met Rafael María de Mendive, a very influential person in Marti's political thoughts.

Aside from being a great writer, poet, and journalist, José Martí was also a painter. In 1867, he enrolled at the Professional School for Painting and Sculpting of Havana to take drawing classes.

In 1869, he published his first political writings in the only edition of the newspaper El Diablo Cojuelo. That same year he published "Abdala," a patriotic drama in verse form in the one-volume La Patria Libre. His famous sonnet "10 de octubre" was also written during that year, which was published later in his school newspaper.

Despite this success, in March of that year, colonial authorities shut down the school, interrupting Martí's studies. He came to resent Spanish rule of his homeland at a young age; likewise, he developed a hatred of slavery, which was still practiced in Cuba.

Statue of José Martí on horseback in New York's Central Park - Anna Hyatt Huntington, 1959

In October 1869, he was arrested, then incarcerated in the national jail following an accusation of treason from the Spanish government. More than four months later, Martí assumed responsibility of the charges and was condemned to six years in prison. His mother tried arduously to free her son (who was still a minor at the time, at 16 years old) by writing letters to the government; his father went to a lawyer friend for legal support, but all efforts failed. Eventually Martí fell ill; his legs were severely lacerated due to the chains attached to him. Therefore, he was transferred by the General to another part of Cuba known as Isla de Pinos instead of further imprisonment. Following that, they decided to repatriate him to Spain.

1 Years of exile
2 Death
3 Legacy
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Years of exile

In Spain, he studied law and wrote articles on the wrongs of Spanish rule in Cuba, including "El presidio político en Cuba" in 1871.

After spending some time in Spain, Martí completed his studies, graduated with a bachelor of arts, and obtained his license in civil rights. He then traveled to France, where he spent some time before secretly returning to Cuba under an assumed name in 1877. He was unable to obtain any employment until he accepted a job as a professor of history and literature in Guatemala City.

In 1878, he returned to Havana and found a job there. His son, Jose Francisco was born there. However, the next year, he was arrested and deported to Spain again. His wife and son remained in Cuba.

Statue of José Martí, Parque Central, Havana, by José Vilalta Saavedra, 1905

In 1880, Martí moved to New York City serving as a joint consul there for Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. He mobilized the Cuban exile community, especially in Tampa and Key West, Florida, to revolution and independence from Spain, while lobbying to oppose U.S. annexation of Cuba, which some American politicians desired. In January of 1892 he founded the Partido Revolucionario Cubano, the Cuban Revolutionary Party, with the purpose of gaining independence for Cuba and supporting that of Puerto Rico.

In 1894, he left planning to land in Cuba and fight for revolution, but was intercepted in Florida. On March 25, 1895, José Marti published the Manifesto of Montecristi together with Máximo Gómez, proclaiming Cuban independence, an end to all legal distinctions between the races, friendship with Spaniards who did not oppose the independence, and war with all who stood in the way of independence.

On April 11, 1895, Martí landed in Cuba with a small force of rebel exiles, including the Generalísimo Máximo Gómez y Báez. Upon reuniting with the Ejercito Libertador, Martí was given the grade of Major General. In the early days of May, he and Gómez met at La Mejorana with Major General Antonio Maceo Grajales, who was second in command of the Army after Gómez. Nobody really knows what was discussed, the only record being Martí's diary, and the pages concerning that day are missing.

[edit] Death

José Martí was killed in battle with Spanish troops at the Battle of Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895.

La Muerte de José Martí, by Cuban artist Mario Perez, 2003.

Gómez had recognized that the Spaniards had a great position between palm trees, so he ordered to disengage. Martí was alone and seeing a young courier ride by he said: "Joven, a la carga" meaning: "Young man, let's charge!" This was around midday, and he was, as always, dressed in a black jacket, riding a white horse, which made him an easy target for the Spanish. The young trooper, Angel de la Guardia—which, ironically, can be translated as "guardian angel"—lost his horse and could only go back to report the terrible loss. The Spanish took possession of the body, buried it close by, then dug him out once they realized who he was. He is buried in Cementerio Santa Efigenia in Santiago de Cuba. Many have argued that Maceo and others had always spurned Martí for never participating in combat, which may have compelled Martí to that ill-fated suicidal two-man charge. Some of his "Versos sencillos" bore premonition:

"Que no me entierren en lo oscuro/ A morir como un traidor/ Yo soy bueno y como bueno/ Moriré de cara al sol." ("May they not bury me in darkness / to die like a traitor / I am good, and as a good man / I will die facing the sun.")

[edit] Legacy

The Spanish-American War ended approximately three years after his death. His best and most revered works were his books for children, La Edad de Oro ("The Golden Age") being the most widely read, and his poetry. Several of the verses from his collection of poems Versos Sencillos were later put to music as "Guantanamera," which has become one of Cuba's most famous songs.

José Martí International Airport in Havana and the town Martí were named after this leader of Cuban independence, whilst mant town in Cuba have a street named after him.

Some believe that Martí and Carmen (Carmita) Miyares de Mantilla had a child in 1880 when he was separated from his wife. [1] One of the child, María Mantilla's own children was the actor Cesar Romero.