Anselmo Suárez y Romero facts for kids

Anselmo Suárez y Romero (born 1818, died 1878) was a well-known Cuban writer. He is famous for writing Francisco. This was the first novel in Spanish about slavery in the Americas. The story was inspired by the autobiography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Manzano's book, written in 1835, was the first autobiography by a slave in Spanish.

About Anselmo Suárez y Romero

Anselmo Suárez y Romero grew up in his hometown. He spent his life teaching and helping to improve public education.

• His writing career started with short stories like Una noche de retreta.
• He also published Biografía de Carlota Valdés in 1838. This means Biography of Carlota Valdés.
• Between 1838 and 1839, he wrote his most famous novel, Francisco. However, it was not published until 40 years later.
• In 1859, he released Colección de Artículos. This book showed his amazing descriptions of Cuban life and nature.
• In the same year, he became a lawyer.
• Some of his essays about education were published in Havana in 1862.
• He published Cartas críticas sobre asuntos jurídicos in 1870. These were letters about legal topics.
• Finally, in 1880, his novel Francisco was published in Spanish. It showed the harsh reality of slavery in Cuba.

His Famous Book: Francisco

Anselmo Suárez y Romero wrote his most important book, Francisco, between 1838 and 1839. It is also known as El ingenio o las delicias del campo. This means The sugar mill or the delights of the country. Many people consider it the first anti-slavery novel in the Americas. This means it was one of the first books to speak out against slavery.

Another important story about slavery was Petrona y Rosalía. Félix Tanco y Bosmeniel wrote it in 1838. But it was not published until 1925. It also showed the lives of enslaved people in the 1800s.

Why Francisco Was Important

The novel Francisco was largely based on a true story. It used details from "Autobiografía de un esclavo". This was the autobiography written by Juan Francisco Manzano. His book was published later in England.

Francisco helped pave the way for other important books. These books also explored the topic of slavery. Some examples include:

• Cecilia Valdés by Cirilo Villaverde (started in 1839)
• Sab by Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda (1841)
• El Ranchador by Pedro José Morillas (1856)
• El negro Francisco by Antonio Zambrana (1873)
• ¡Ecué-Yambá! by Alejo Carpentier (1933)

Francisco was written years before the famous American novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. However, it could not be published right away. This was because of strict rules from the government at the time. This was called colonial censorship.

The book's manuscript was given to Richard Robert Madden in 1840. Madden was a British official who fought against slavery. He also received a corrected copy of Juan Francisco Manzano's autobiography. Suárez y Romero himself had checked and improved Manzano's book.

What People Thought of Francisco

Richard Robert Madden, the British anti-slavery activist, spoke about how important Francisco was. He said that even though it might not be a perfect literary work, it felt very real. He believed it showed life and truth in every sentence.

Madden also said that the book had amazing details. He felt it showed great observation and true feelings. He thought Suárez y Romero's writing style was very descriptive. It painted a clear picture of slavery in Cuba. For example, he noted how the book described an enslaved person. This person was still chained after being hurt, suffering in the heat while harvesting sugar cane.

Many early readers of Francisco agreed with Madden. They felt the book showed a very realistic picture of slavery. This kind of truthful writing had not been seen before.

However, not everyone agreed. A critic named Enrique Piñeyro thought the book was not very original. His opinion was published in a Havana newspaper called El Ateneo. It later appeared in Revista Cubana.

See Also

In Spanish: Anselmo Suárez y Romero para niños