Exile and Revolution: José D. Poyo, Key West, and Cuban Independence

by Gerald E. Poyo

Overview

José Dolores Poyo (1836-1911) was an activist, publisher, social critic, fundraiser, and foundational figure in the campaign for Cuban independence from Spain. His leadership and his mantra-"adelante la revolución" (forward the revolution)-mobilized an insurrectionist movement in Key West. His multidimensional grassroots work and his newspaper El Yara, the longest-lived Cuban exile newspaper of the nineteenth century, gave hope to a people who aspired to be liberated from the bonds of colonialism. In Exile and Revolution, Gerald Poyo provides a comprehensive account of how his great-great-grandfather spurred the working-class community of Key West to transform their roles as supporting cast to become critical actors in the struggle for Cuban independence. The book reveals the depth of Cuba’s longtime ties to Florida, the cigar industry, and its workers; the experience of Cubans in the American South; and the diplomatic intrigues involving Spain, Cuba, and the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813065021
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	04/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	318
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Gerald E. Poyo, professor of Latin American and U.S. Latino history at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, is the author of Cuban Catholics in the United States, 1960–1980 and “With All, and for the Good of All.”

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

Preface xi

Introduction 1

1 Community 9

2 Nationalism 37

3 Revolution 65

4 Preservation 95

5 Persistence 118

6 Martí 137

7 Crisis 167

8 War 192

9 Legacy 226

Notes 251

Bibliography 281

Index 291

Editorial Reviews

A richly descriptive account of the struggle for Cuban independence from the perspective of Key West, an important community of exiled Cuban revolutionaries that has received little attention in the historiography.”—Bulletin of Spanish Studies “Gerald Poyo has penned a thoughtful text that explores Key West’s role in the Cuban independence movement through the experiences of José Dolores Poyo, his great-great-grandfather . . . A welcome addition to the history of Cuban Key West.”—Cuba Counterpoints “This beautifully crafted study captures Poyo’s passionate commitment to Cuban independence, his extraordinary skills as a community organizer and editor in Key West, and his complex entanglements with Máximo Gómez, José Martí, and other nationalist leaders.”—New West Indian Guide “An engaging and interesting case study. One gains a thorough understanding of Poyo and his exile community in Key West and its struggle for Cuban independence from Spain.”— Latin Americanist “Provides a great deal of valuable information about Cuban exiles, Key West, Cuba-United States relations, and the Cuban separatist movement.”—H-Net “A well-researched and detailed monograph . . . [that] should be read by anyone interested in a better understanding of the nuances and intrigues of the Cuban émigré community that stirred and supported the revolution of 1895.”—Journal of Southern History

From the Publisher