CESPEDES DEL CASTILLO CARLOS MANUEL: (1819-1874) Cuban Revolutionary. Known as the ''Father of the Motherland'' ...

CESPEDES DEL CASTILLO CARLOS MANUEL: (1819-1874) Cuban Revolutionary. Known as the ''Father of the Motherland'', Cespedes is considered a Cuban hero who freed slaves and leaded the declaration of Cuban Independence in 1868. An attractive signed printed document, one page, folio, Bayamo, 27th December 1868, in Spanish. The document being a decree is entitled ''Slavery Conditioned Abolition Decree - Carlos Manuel de Cespedes - Captain-General of the Liberator Army of Cuba and Leader of the Provisional Government'', and bears a very attractive and large vignette to the heading. The decree contains nine articles, and starts stating `The Cuban Revolution, proclaiming the independence of the Homeland and with it all freedoms, cannot accept the inconsistency of restricting it to only one part of the country´s population. A free Cuba is incompatible with a proslavery Cuba..´ further saying in its first article `All slaves are declared free..´. Boldly signed by Cespedes at the base of the document `C. M de Cespedes´. Bearing a large blind embossed seal to the head and an ink stamp of the ''Ilustre Ayuntamiento Libre de Bayamo'' ('' Illustrious Free Townhall of Bayamo'') at the base. The document grants freedom to `Tomas, Labourer, 23 years old, black,..´ Overall age wear and toning, with edges trimmed. Partially repaired to the verso. F to G