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EMANCIPATION IN THE SPANISH

CARIBBEAN
Abolition of the Slave Trade
In the Spanish colonies such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, emancipation came later than in the
British and French colonies. The Spanish colonies experienced a sugar boom after 1750 which
lasted into the 19th century. With increased sugar production, slavery grew in the Spanish
colonies, especially in Cuba where the planters there could not obtain enough slaves due to
trade restrictions.

In 1791, the Cuban Slave Trade was declared open and duties on slaves were reduced.
Traders from any country were allowed to export any commodity paying any duty. As a
result, by the 19th century, the Spanish had imported more slaves than before. The Spanish
authorities became concerned about the increase in black: white ratio rather than the
humanitarian aspect of the slave trade.

In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, Spain promised to abolish the slave trade and in 1817
signed a Reciprocal Search Treaty Britain. However, the Spanish made no attempt to enforce
these measures and even after 1820 when it was formally agreed to abolish the slave trade. The
Spanish continued to import slaves, sometimes under the flag of the United States if they
thought that they were going to be searched. However, in 1865, the Spanish abolished the slave
trade due to the outside pressure and the growing abolition movement in Spain such as the
Spanish Anti-Slavery Society.

Abolition of Slavery
Britain exerted increasing pressure on Spain to free the slaves. The Spanish slaves were aware
that the British slaves were freed and this increased the danger of slave revolts. In Cuba, by
1840, the majority of the slaves were entitled to their freedom if they could prove that they
were imported after 1820 but this was difficult. This led to a series of revolts in the Matanzas
region in 1843 by slaves who thought their freedom was being withheld. There were even
encouraged by some mulattoes. These revolts were brutally suppressed and the mulattoes who
participated were executed. This encouraged more people in Cuba to desire the abolition of
slavery.

The fortunes of abolition in Cuba and Puerto Rico were linked to the independence movement.
Planters in Cuba and Puerto Rico wanted colonial Rule whereas many Creole Spaniards wanted
independence, yet they were dependent on Spain for protection in the event of the outbreak of
slave revolts. Many feared that there would be a decline in the sugar industry as in Jamaica.
The extreme pro-slavery group in Cuba considered annexation by the United States if Spain
could not protect them from slave revolts to bring emancipation.

The British wanted emancipation in the Spanish empire for humanitarian and economic
reasons. Slaves-produced sugar from the Spanish colonies were underselling the sugar
produced in the British colonies and furthermore Britain wanted to keep Cuba out of the hands
of the United States.

In 1861-1865, the American Civil War led to the emancipation of slaves throughout the United
States and ended any thoughts of annexation by Cuban slave-owners. In 1868, the monarchy in
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Spain was overthrown and the country became a republic with a new government, which had a
number of anti-slavery sympathizers. This encouraged those who wanted independence in Cuba
and Puerto Rico to include emancipation in their goals.

In 1870, the Spanish Government passed a law granting freedom to all slaves over 60 years old
and those born after September 1868. Three years later, all slaves in Puerto Rico were set free
and 35 million pesetas were paid to their former owners.

In Cuba, there was a struggle for independence known as the Ten Years' War which broke out in
1868. This war was brought to an end by the Treaty of Zanjon. Two years after the end of the
war in 1880, the Spanish government passed a measure for the gradual emancipation of slaves
in Cuba.
There was no compensation offered to slave-owners because of the cost of the war. By the 7th
October, 1886, all remaining slaves were granted their freedom.

Reasons why Spain abolished slavery in Cuba in 1886

1. There was a growing resistance of the slaves, for example, in 1843, there was a
widespread slave revolt m the areas around Mantanzas in Cuba. Many plantation
owners became afraid that the island might become a black republic like Haiti. As a
result, some owners began using indentured servants from Mexico, China and the
Canary Islands rather than importing slaves. This was the beginning of a successful
policy of immigration which showed that slavery was not a "necessary evil" and so
many Cuban planters were prepared to support emancipation.
2. The Spanish Government faced increasing international pressure initially from Britain
after the 1815 Vienna Congress and later, after the American Civil War and abolition in
that country, the increased pressure to bring about abolition in Spanish colonies.
3. Spain felt isolated after the removal of the United States' support after 1865 and
concerned about her image as a slave holding power. As a result, she was forced to act
decisively.
4. There was increasing pressure from abolitionists in Spain and from a small number in
Cuba.
5. Abolition in Cuba was linked to the independence movement in that as long as slavery
continued, the Cubans would remain loyal to Spain to be guaranteed protection in the
event of a slave uprising. By the 1860s, many Cubans liberals urged emancipation and
independence.
6. In 1868, Carols Manuel de Cespedes, an eastern landowner and lawyer freed his slaves
and this led to the start of the Ten Years' War. Cespedes issued an Emancipation decree
which stated that the slaves were freed and drafted into the service of the country. Those
owners who supported the revolution would be compensated for their slaves if they so
desired and those who opposed would be ineligible.
7. In 1870, Segismundo Moret y Prendergast, the Colonial Minister and a former Vice-
president of the Abolition Society, introduced to the Spanish Cortes, a number of
measures which became the Moret Law. This provided for the freeing of all slaves over
60 years old.
8. The commander of the Spanish troops in Cuba, Martinez Campos, was afraid that all
adult slaves would join the rebels unless he freed them. As a result, he quickly brought
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the fighting to an end. In 1878, they signed the Treaty of Zanjon with the
revolutionaries. It stated that all those who helped the Spanish troops would gain their
freedom. The new law to abolish slavery came into effect on July,1880.
9. All newly freed slaves were to remain with their owners under a system of tR1steeship
"Patronato" until 1888, instead of compensation to their owners. The master was to
feed, clothe, protect and care for them as well as teach them a useful trade. In return,
any work done by the slaves for their masters would not be compensated. The stipulated
time ended prematurely in 1886 like the Apprenticeship system in the British territories
had done.
10. There was agitation by abolitionists in the Cortes and the slave system was in decline
because the richer planters had accepted abolition and had sold their slaves or freed
them, and some slaves ran away.
11. Slavery was preceded by a rapidly deteriorating economic situation which was
aggravated in part by a general decline m the price of sugar on the world market. The
abolitionists and the Cuban deputies attacked the patronage system and in response, a
royal decree of 7th October, 1886 formally dissolved the patronage system thereby
bringing slavery to an end.