Birthday of Gaspar Yanga (Nianga)

Nianga was a central African man from the Congo region who was sold into slavery in the 1500's and taken to New Spain (Mexico). He escaped his enslavers around 1570 with a band of other enslaved peoples that he led into the highlands near Veracruz. They build a small maroon community there which survived for over 30 years and offered refuge to other people who escaped slavery. By one estimate in 1609 the community numbers more than 500. The colonial government tried to crack down on the community which led regular raids on the road connecting an important port to the capital of 'New Spain'. The Spanish attacked the maroons in 1609 with 550 Spanish troops, burning their settlement, but could not win a conclusive victory due to the maroons superior knowledge of the nearby highlands. Their ability to retreat into the lands they knew and guerilla warfare tactics led to a stalemate which lasted years. Eventually the Spanish signed a treaty in 1618 which established their right to rule, their freedom from slavery, and established the town of San Lorenzo de los Negros de Cerralvo (later renamed Yanga).