Juan Francisco Manzano facts for kids

Juan Francisco Manzano (1797–1854) was born into slavery in Matanzas Province, Cuba. This was during a time when Spain ruled Cuba. His father died before Juan was 15. His family then included only his mother and two brothers.

Juan Francisco Manzano worked as a page for most of his life. A page was a servant who ran errands and attended to a master or mistress. This was a special job for an enslaved person. While still enslaved, he wrote two books of poetry and his life story. His book, The Autobiography of a Slave, is one of only two known stories about slavery in 19th-century Cuba. It is also the only one from Spanish America.

An Irish person who wanted to end slavery, Richard Robert Madden, published Manzano's Poems by a slave in the island of Cuba in 1840. Manzano became a free man in 1837. After this, he wrote more poems and a play called Zafira. In 1844, Manzano was wrongly accused of being part of a plot called the conspiracy of La Escalera. He was freed from prison in 1845. After this, he did not publish any more works and died in 1854.

Early Life as an Enslaved Person

Juan Francisco Manzano was born in 1797. His parents, Sofia del Pilar Manzano and Toribio de Castro, were both enslaved. They belonged to Señora Beatriz de Justiz de Santa Ana. His mother was her main helper.

When he was young, Manzano was not allowed to play with other Black children. He was treated more like a Spanish child. His life was easier than other enslaved people in the sugar-growing areas. However, being a house servant meant he was often alone. He had to be near his mistress almost all the time. He also had to do whatever she wished.

His next mistress, María de la Concepción, was very mean. She treated him badly. In 1836, when he was 39 years old, Manzano finally became a free man.

Facing Hardships as a Slave

Even though Manzano worked inside the house, he suffered much. He faced many kinds of physical and mental abuse. As a child, he was forced to sit still on a stool until midnight. After that, he had to hold a lamp hanging from the back of a carriage. If the lamp went out, he would be punished.

Another common punishment was being sent to the men's sickroom. Once, an assistant supervisor ordered Manzano to be tied up. He was then beaten until he lost a lot of blood and passed out.

One time, Manzano was falsely accused of stealing a chicken. He was beaten for nine days until he was proven innocent. During this time, he still had to do his regular work when he was not being punished.

Learning to Read and Write

Manzano was a house slave and had little control over his life. But his first mistress taught him to write. She also showed him many artistic things. He learned short plays, poems called décima, and parts of operas by heart.

Later, with a different master, Manzano was not allowed to write. He was supposed to be working. But he practiced writing letters using his master's old notes. First, he copied the writing. Then, he started writing his own words. Before he could read or write, he could only remember other people's poems. Writing allowed him to share his own thoughts.

He joined a group of Cuban reformers. These people wanted to make changes in society. A writer named Domingo Del Monte encouraged Manzano to write. The group collected money to buy Manzano's freedom. Publishers later changed Manzano's poems. They wanted to make them "cleaner," but this made the poems less real.

While still enslaved, he wrote Poesias liricas (1821) and Flores pasageras (1830). In 1835, he started writing his life story. This was because Domingo del Monte asked him to. Del Monte bought Manzano's freedom in 1836. Del Monte wanted Manzano's life story to help end slavery. Manzano was at first unsure about sharing all the details. But he became more confident over time. He saved some parts for a future book, which was never published.

Published Works of Juan Manzano

His Autobiography

Manzano's life story is thought to be the first slave narrative published in Spanish America. In his book, Manzano writes that his parents' mistress had power over life and death. She allowed him to be born. He wrote, "remember when you read me that I am a slave and that the slave is a dead being in the eyes of his master." He had this master until she died when he was 12. He remembers little of her death, except standing in a line by her bed and crying.

Manzano's book talks about how his body was used by his mistress. His second mistress, Marquesa de Prado Ameno, controlled him by how she dressed him. When he wore nice clothes, it meant she was happy with him. When he wore old clothes, it showed she was unhappy. Changing his clothes often showed that his identity was taken away. Manzano felt his dignity was removed because of these constant costume changes. He also said that his punishments got worse when he turned 14. His mistress would lock him in a cage for 24 hours without food or water. He was punished several times a week: "Este penitencia era tan frequente que no pasaba una semana en que no sufriese de este género de castigo dos o tres veces." (This punishment was so common that not a week passed where I would not suffer from this kind of punishment two or three times.)

Spanish Edition of the Autobiography

During the time Manzano wrote his autobiography, Spanish rulers did not want people to know about the history of enslaved people. The economy in Cuba depended on enslaved labor to grow sugar. Even after Spain no longer ruled Cuba in 1898, the book could not be published there. The autobiography belonged to Del Monte. It then passed to his family and later to the national library in Havana. It was finally published in Cuba in 1937.

English Edition of the Autobiography

In the 1800s, people who wanted to end slavery published works by enslaved people. Manzano's autobiography was published with help from Del Monte and Madden. Since a Spanish version could not be published for a long time, an English version came out in England. It was translated by Richard Madden.

In North America, slave narratives were sometimes changed by editors. They might remove details or add things to make the story more dramatic. In Manzano's case, names, places, dates, and details of harsh treatment were removed. Some experts say that sometimes the editors' ideas were so strong that there was little room for the enslaved person's own story.

Zafira Play

Manzano's play, Zafira, was published in 1842. It was a story that used symbols to talk about slavery in Cuba. Zafira takes place in the 16th century in Mauritania, North Africa. The play is about Zafira, an Arabian princess. She is sad because her husband died. She fears marrying the Turkish pirate, Barbarroja, who wants to rule the coast. Her son, Selim, returns in disguise to take back his throne. He works with the enslaved woman Noemi to fight Barbarroja.

Zafira also refers to the Haitian revolution of 1791. This was a major slave revolt that led to Haiti becoming a free country in 1804. After this revolt, rich landowners fled to Cuba. They brought stories of the rebellion. Spanish rulers in Cuba did not allow enslaved people from Haiti to enter Cuba. They feared another revolt. Spanish soldiers were also present to stop any uprisings.

In the play, Selim has a secret letter. Zafira shows the letter to Barbarroja, who becomes scared. This fear in the play shows the fear that Spanish and Cuban people had of another revolt like the Haitian revolution. The play's themes are unfair rule, being forced to leave home, being controlled, slavery, and rebellion. These themes in 19th-century Havana quietly questioned Spanish colonial rule. Manzano subtly criticized personal and national freedom. His play showed ideas from the Enlightenment, like reason, fairness, and equality. Manzano might have been inspired by an older Spanish play called Tragedia. In the original, the Spanish hero was removed. Instead, the enslaved woman Noemi, who represents Afro-Cuban enslaved people, became the hero. In writings of resistance, meaning is often hidden in symbols that seem harmless but have deeper meanings. Manzano's play was about celebrating African identity through ideas of freedom and self-rule.

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See also

In Spanish: Juan Francisco Manzano para niños