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

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 from supporting cast to 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. Poyo led nationalist efforts in the exile community in Florida for over thirty years and was a fierce advocate for the cause both before and after, as well as alongside, Jos Mart. Poyos significant but largely unheralded role in the [Cuban] independence movement fully comes to light in this thoroughly researched book.Anne Fountain, author of Jos Mart and U.S. Writers A must-read for those interested in the Cuban migr colony of Key West during the nineteenth century and its involvement in the War of 1895 in Cuba.Consuelo E. Stebbins, author of City of Intrigue, Nest of Revolution Jos Dolores Poyo (18361911) was an activist, publisher, social critic, fundraiser, and foundational figure in the campaign for Cuban independence from Spain. His leadership and his mantraadelante la revolucin (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 Cubas 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. Key West’s importance to the career of Cuba’s national hero José Martí and other prominent independence leaders is well recognized, but less understood was the community’s distinctive ideological character, inner workings, and revolutionary tradition. The complicated and fascinating insurrectionary enterprise sustained by Key West’s racially diverse working class community helped prepare, launch, and maintain the Cuban war of independence. Viewed from an intimate local perspective, the book transforms Key West’s place in Cuban independence historiography from supporting cast to critical role in sparking insurrection. The analysis recovers and highlights the figure of one of Key West’s most important leaders, José Dolores Poyo, who lived during an era of nationalism and political and socioeconomic change in Latin America. Like thousands of other nineteenth-century Hispanic exiles who sought refuge in the United States after being torn unexpectedly from their homelands by political disruption, violence, or civil war, Poyo struggled against the odds for thirty years to achieve revolution and an independent Cuban republic dedicated to the welfare of all its citizens. Poyo died a little over a century ago, but his political career and the history of his insurgent community remind us about the power of grievance, ideology, leadership, and popular aspirations to mobilize people and communities for radical action and change

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 newspaperEl 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 from supporting cast to 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 Poyo Fought From Afar For Cuban Freedom For Decades And By 1898 Was Considered To Be The Leader Of The Cuban Nationalist Political Movement In Key West. This Book Provides An Intimate Portrait Of This Place And Time In Cuba And Florida's Shared History. Community Nationalism Revolution Preservation Persistence Martí Crisis War Legacy.