Félix Tanco y Bosmeniel (Jan 28, 1797–1871, was a writer, poet, and novelist, better known for the first fictional story about slavery in the Americas: ''Petrona y Rosalía''.
Born Félix Manuel de Jesús Tanco y Bosmeniel, in
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, Colombia, he arrived in Cuba at a very young age.
He was considered the most radical writer of the epoch speaking against the injustices committed by the colonial government. He wrote at length against slavery and the despotic treatment that many blacks suffered under its authoritarian rule.
In the narrative of his masterpiece ''Petrona y Rosalía'', he spoke about the cruelty inflicted onto the slaves by the ruling master class that was backed by the colonial government. He spoke against the white elitism that predominated in society, which was always protected by a group with special interests in the promulgation and the expansion of the slave trade.
Miguel Tacón y Rosique
Miguel Tacón y Rosique, (Cartagena, Spain, 10 January 1777 - 13 October Madrid, 1855) was a Spanish military and colonial administrator in the Spanish Americas. From 1834 to 1838, he was Governor of Cuba.
Biography
He was the son of Miguel An ...
for writing an article about slavery. The article had been published in the literary magazine ''Aurora de Matanzas'' that same year. In the article, Tanco respectfully urged the Governor to eradicate, among other things, gambling, bribes, and the slave trade. The governor thought that the article was an insult to his authoritative rank, so he charged him with insubordination against the government.[Domingo del Monte. (Aug 3, 1834) ''Carta de Domingo del Monte a Tomás Gener.'' Matanzas.]
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Literary criticism of Félix Tanco's publications
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanco, Felix
1797 births
1871 deaths
Cuban male poets
Viceroyalty of New Granada people
19th-century Cuban poets