Juan Francisco Manzano

Juan Francisco Manzano (1797–1854) was born a slave in the Matanzas Province of Cuba. He wrote two works and started his autobiography while still enslaved. He obtained his freedom in 1836 and later wrote a book of poems and a play.

Manzano was falsely accused of being involved in the conspiracy of La Escalera in 1844. After his release from prison in 1845 he never wrote again and died in poverty in 1854.

Manzano was born to del Pilar Manzano and Toribio de Casto in 1797. His married parents were both slaves to Señora Beatriz de Justiz de Santa Ana, his mother being her chief handmaid. Their mistress was a wrier and poet.

In his youth, Manzano was not allowed to play with other black children. He was treated like a white child and had a comfortable, in comparison to other slaves in the important sugar region. However, the life of a house slave was isolating.

His next mistress, María de la Concepción, la Marquesa del Prado Ameno, was cruel and abusive. Manzano escaped.

Manzano was a domestic slave with little power over his life, but he was taught to write by his master.

His first mistress exposed him to the arts, and under her care, he memorized short plays, bits of opera, and other works of theater. Subsequently, with a master, Manzano was not allowed to use time that he could be working to recite by heart or write letters, but he practiced writing letters with the discarded notes of his master, first copying the script and then writing himself. Until he learned to read or write, Manzano was limited to remembering other's poetry. Writing allowed him to express his own viewpoints. He became a part of a group of Cuban reformists who, with a publicist and liberal writer named Domingo Del Monte, encouraged Manzano to write. The group took up a collection to buy Manzano's freedom. Manzano’s poetry was edited by publishers who sought to create a cleaner version of the text, but in the process, the poems lost their authenticity.

While still enslaved, he wrote Poesias liricas (1821) and Flores pasageras (1830). In 1835, he began writing his life story at the request of Domingo del Monte, who bought Manzano’s freedom in 1836. Del Monte wanted him to write a narrative of his life to help promote abolitionism among the enlightened middle class. In correspondence between Manzano and Del Monte, Manzano was initially hesitant to reveal details that he though would not be well received by his benefactor. He gained greater self-confidence and certainty about his autobiography with time. He held back some material that he wanted to put in a later book, which never appeared.

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