Bartolomé de Jesús Masó Márquez (21 December 1830 in

Yara Yara may refer to: People * YARA (girl group), a Filipino girl group * Yara (given name) * Yara (surname), a Japanese surname * Yara (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese pop singer * Yara (footballer) (born 1964), Brazilian footballer Locations ...

– 14 June 1907 in Manzanillo)Bartolomé Masó on guije.com
/ref> was a

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

n politician and military, patriot for Cuban independence from the colonial power of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, and later

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the ''República en Armas'' ("Republic in Arms").Bartolomé Masó
on the "

Oracle Thinkquest ThinkQuest was an educational website, created 1996 and intended for primary and secondary schools. Beginning 2002 it was owned by the Oracle Education Foundation and was known as Oracle ThinkQuest. History ThinkQuest was created in 1996 by All ...

"República de Cuba en Armas
( EcuRed)Cuban Presidents (www.historyofcuba.com)
/ref>

Biography

Early life

Masó, son of a

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

father and a Cuban-born mother from

Bayamo Bayamo is the capital city of the Granma Province of Cuba and one of the largest cities in the Oriente region. Overview The community of Bayamo lies on a plain by the Bayamo River. It is affected by the violent Bayamo wind. One of the mos ...

, was born in Yara on a farm named "Cerca Pie"; later he moved with his parents to the coastal city of Manzanillo. He was educated at the Convent of Santo Domingo. As a young man put his activities in the service of commerce, and cultivated his interest in literature, also composing verses. In 1851 he protested in a speech against the execution of

Narciso López Narciso López (November 2, 1797, Caracas – September 1, 1851, Havana) was a Venezuelan-born adventurer and Spanish Army general who is best known for his expeditions aimed at liberating Cuba from Spanish rule in the 1850s. His troops carrie ...

on the

garrote A garrote or garrote vil (a Spanish word; alternative spellings include garotte and similar variants''Oxford English Dictionary'', 11th Ed: garrotte is normal British English spelling, with single r alternate. Article title is US English spelli ...

. Since this event he was under surveillance of the colonial authorities.

First battles

When in 1867

Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Carlos Manuel de Céspedes del Castillo (18 April 1819, Bayamo, Spanish Cuba – 27 February 1874, San Lorenzo, Spanish Cuba) was a Cuban revolutionary hero and First President of Cuba in Arms in 1868. Cespedes, who was a plantation owner ...

Francisco Vicente Aguilera Francisco Vicente Aguilera was a Cuban patriot born in Bayamo, Cuba on June 23, 1821. He had ten children with his wife Ana Manuela Maria Dolores Sebastiana Kindelan y Sanchez. He studied at the University of Havana receiving the degree of Bach ...

and other began to conspire ways to look at the independence of Cuba, Masó was one of the first who joined the cause. On 10 October 1868, when he thought the moment had come and took off with his two brothers, he met Céspedes in La Demajagua and took part in the unsuccessful uprising of

. He was involved in the attack and capture of

and to the liberation struggles in Jiguaní, Báguano, Rejondón, Bermeja and other places. Shortly after the death of Céspedes, Masó was elected as representative of the department of Oriente; and when

Tomás Estrada Palma Tomás Estrada Palma (c. July 6, 1832 – November 4, 1908) was a Cuban politician, the president of the Cuban Republican in Arms during the Ten Years' War, and the first President of Cuba, between May 20, 1902, and September 28, 1906. His coll ...

was elected delegate of the

Cuban Revolutionary Party Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a pers ...

(PRC), named him Secretary of War after the death of

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

. When Estrada Palma was imprisoned he returned into the armed forces, as

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

. In 1879, after the end of the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Diez Años; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. O ...

, he was imprisoned with the colonels Ricardo and Ismael Céspedes, first in the

Castillo del Morro The Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (also known by the less formal title of Castillo del Morro or as San Pedro de la Roca Castle) is a fortress on the coast of the Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba. About 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the ...

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

, and after in the Castillo de Santa Catalina,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. After, he was transferred to a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

prison in

Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...

. Set at liberty, he first visited

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, and then returned to Cuba traveling through

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

War of Independence

The Cuban War of Independence began on 24 February 1895. Due to the serious illness of

Guillermo Moncada Guillermo Moncada (nicknamed "Guillermón" since his childhood, due to his large size) was one of 29 Cuban generals in the Cuban War of Independence. He was born in Santiago, Cuba, on June 25, 1841. A former carpenter, he later became a black fo ...

, Masó transferred the command of the rebels in the Oriente until the arrival of major generals Antonio Maceo and

Máximo Gómez Máximo Gómez y Báez (November 18, 1836 – June 17, 1905) was a Dominican Generalissimo in Cuba's War of Independence (1895–1898). He was known for his controversial scorched-earth policy, which entailed dynamiting passenger trains a ...

. The battle of his units began in Bayate. He spent the eve of 19 May 1895 together with

, who fell in the

Battle of Dos Ríos The Battle of Dos Ríos was fought in Cuba during its war of independence from Spain. History José Martí died fighting in the battle of Dos Ríos (near Palma Soriano). He was leading a group of rebels against the Spanish royalist army in the ...

the next day. In September 1895, meeting the revolutionaries of the ''Asamblea de Jimaguayú'' (Assembly of

Jimaguayú Jimaguayú () is a municipality and town in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. Demographics In 2004, the municipality of Jimaguayú had a population of 21,169. With a total area of , it has a population density of . See also * Jimaguayú Municipal ...

), Masó was elected vice president of the "Republic in Arms". Two years later, on 30 October 1897, he met the revolutionary government in La Yaya, where he was elected president. He held this office until 7 November 1898. In the elections of the first presidency of the independent

n republic in 1901, he ran against

, and was supported by the Independent Republican Party and the People's Labour Party. He withdrew his candidacy under pressure from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, which secured a permanent right of intervention in the young republic by the

Platt Amendment On March 2, 1901, the Platt Amendment was passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriations Bill.Manzanillo. His remains are buried in the city's cemetery.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maso, Bartolome 1830 births 1907 deaths People from Yara, Cuba Cuban independence activists Cuban people of Catalan descent Cuban politicians Cuban military personnel People of the Ten Years' War