1. How does Batrell reconcile with the exclusion of women from his autobiography, especially when his narrative is largely concerned about furthering the ideals of equality advocated by Cuba Libre? What was the rhetorical purpose for aligning his narrative with notions of masculinity and manhood when discussing topics of race?
2. How does Batrell integrate his ideological devotion to Cuba Libre with more religious ideas of divine justice and morality? What does it mean when Sanders argues how Batrell spoke with “prophetic authority” as the protagonist for his autobiography?
1. On page 54, we learn that groups of Mexican, Peruvian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican elites chose to remain loyal to Spain even after getting a glimpse of what independence could look like with the Haitian Revolution. Had there been a higher level of empathy for enslaved Afro-Latinos under their servitude, would we have seen clamor for reform and revolution earlier by the dominant classes in Spanish America?
2. Did slaves in 19th Century Spanish America see military-service as a positive opportunity to gain freedom? Why were rebel governments so inclined to conscript slaves for their insurrections, were slaves just as important in war/rebellion as they were in economic applications?
1. Page xv of the introduction mentions that there were escaped slave communities in the interior mountains. Were these communities well known by the Spanish authorities? If so, how come the Spanish didn’t send in an army to capture them? If they sent thousands of soldiers to stop slave rebellions, then they could have sent troops to stop the growing runaway slave communities.
2. Page xxvii of the introduction mentions that the U.S. had a filibuster to prevent importation of arms to the revolutionary forces in Cuba. Why did the U.S. do that? Wouldn’t it be in their interest to expel European powers in the Americas by supporting revolutionary forces?
1. On Page 22 it mentions Cuba Libre promised an egalitarian society not only ” change in forms but a change of spirit”. What does it mean by this?
2. Batrell state the diametric opposite to racial democracy is racial discrimination. Cuba Libre placed personal prejudice above the needs of the country. How do black soldiers over come racism and discrimination since it played a big part in war.
1. Were the Afro-Cuban’s such as Batrell and other Afro-Latin slaves forced to be soldiers, or did they choose to fight in war?
2. The open ending leaves me a bit confused on what the outcome of the battle was and how Batrell concluded his story, as a victory, or unfinished, or failure. While his memoirs as a black soldier were extremely important and gave a lot of perspective to a non-white point of view, was there any efficient outcome?
1. It can be observed that while black soldiers suffered from racial discrimination, many Afro Cubans still involved in military service. how were they convinced that military service would help them gain freedoms despite the discrimination?
2. The rebel government motivated Afro Cubans by promising total changes of the society. To what extent were these promised changes realized? Were some of these promises merely made up to gain support for the rebellion?
What are the similarities between Manzano and Batrell regarding their attitudes and practice of writing? What are the differences in reasons for why they sought to establish themselves as lettered men? What does this reveal about the significance of Black personal narrative production among Afro-Latinos in the 18th-19th century Atlantic world for political purposes and identity-making?
While discussing the focus on masculinity and the absence of women in Batrell’s narrative, Sanders states “historically the role of women insurrectionists is well documented” (Sanders 49). How are the roles of female insurrections documented? When and where do they exist in the archive?
1. In the Introduction it mentions how there were about little to zero soldiers who knew how to read or write. How did Batrell learn these skills? In what ways could or were soldiers punished for knowing this?
2. Ricardo mentions in the first chapter that he joined Juan Echeverria’s group to stand in the war. However, he also mentioned that there were several Spanish Volunteers “who said that they were ready to enlist”. Who’s side were these men on?
1. Emancipation in the 1880s of colonial Cuban society was a big step towards legal freedom for enslaved Afro-Latinos. However, did it translate into actual freedom, or did slavery and racism just take on a different and more subtle form?
2. What does the stance “Cuba for the Cubans” refer to? What were Afro-Cuban’s demands in pursuit of Cuba libre and what were the obstacles prolonging its realization?
1. Why does Bartell emphasize his race throughout his autobiography? In what contexts does he highlight it?
2. What does Bartell’s narrative speak to about relationships between different troops under the command of different leaders within the revolutionary army?
1.Did the Spanish troops also employ Afro Cubans (free or enslaved) to fight for their cause or was this only the criollos who did so?
2. I’m a little confused in the fight for Cuban independence was their explicit calls for racial justice or was this something the black soldiers fought for specifically themselves or was it something they be,I ever would come about after independence without Spanish influence?
In the introduction, it mentioned that Batrell, unlike other postwar memoirs, brought race to the center of his literature. Considering that 60 to 80 percent of the Liberation Army was black, was this why other memories ignored race altogether?
According to the introduction, Bartell thought it was a crime to the nation to omit race when discussing politics and history. Could the reason Bartell brought race to the center of literature be his ideology of the time? How much different would Bartell’s literature have been had he ignored race?
1. Did Afro-Cuban slaves like Batrell and other Afro-Latin slaves choose to engage in wars, or were they forced to serve as soldiers?
2. Since the percentage of soldiers who could read and write was nearly zero, how did Batrell pick up such skills? How might troops be punished for having this knowledge?
1. Why was being forced out of the country a form of punishment for wanting to fight in war? especially occupying a higher military position (commanding officer), were the dynamics simply different from North America?
2. on page 11 it mentioned that young innocent transient workers were the unfortunate targets to kill after some men were killed within the column, as well as an old black man. How often were innocent black lives taken simply out of anger or any other unjust reasons?
1. How does Batrell reconcile with the exclusion of women from his autobiography, especially when his narrative is largely concerned about furthering the ideals of equality advocated by Cuba Libre? What was the rhetorical purpose for aligning his narrative with notions of masculinity and manhood when discussing topics of race?
2. How does Batrell integrate his ideological devotion to Cuba Libre with more religious ideas of divine justice and morality? What does it mean when Sanders argues how Batrell spoke with “prophetic authority” as the protagonist for his autobiography?
1. On page 54, we learn that groups of Mexican, Peruvian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican elites chose to remain loyal to Spain even after getting a glimpse of what independence could look like with the Haitian Revolution. Had there been a higher level of empathy for enslaved Afro-Latinos under their servitude, would we have seen clamor for reform and revolution earlier by the dominant classes in Spanish America?
2. Did slaves in 19th Century Spanish America see military-service as a positive opportunity to gain freedom? Why were rebel governments so inclined to conscript slaves for their insurrections, were slaves just as important in war/rebellion as they were in economic applications?
1. Page xv of the introduction mentions that there were escaped slave communities in the interior mountains. Were these communities well known by the Spanish authorities? If so, how come the Spanish didn’t send in an army to capture them? If they sent thousands of soldiers to stop slave rebellions, then they could have sent troops to stop the growing runaway slave communities.
2. Page xxvii of the introduction mentions that the U.S. had a filibuster to prevent importation of arms to the revolutionary forces in Cuba. Why did the U.S. do that? Wouldn’t it be in their interest to expel European powers in the Americas by supporting revolutionary forces?
1. On Page 22 it mentions Cuba Libre promised an egalitarian society not only ” change in forms but a change of spirit”. What does it mean by this?
2. Batrell state the diametric opposite to racial democracy is racial discrimination. Cuba Libre placed personal prejudice above the needs of the country. How do black soldiers over come racism and discrimination since it played a big part in war.
What could’ve been the motivation if the French Revolution never influenced the revolutions within Latin America?
How does the different black population sizes affect the influence for independence? Was there more resistance by the government?
1. Were the Afro-Cuban’s such as Batrell and other Afro-Latin slaves forced to be soldiers, or did they choose to fight in war?
2. The open ending leaves me a bit confused on what the outcome of the battle was and how Batrell concluded his story, as a victory, or unfinished, or failure. While his memoirs as a black soldier were extremely important and gave a lot of perspective to a non-white point of view, was there any efficient outcome?
1. It can be observed that while black soldiers suffered from racial discrimination, many Afro Cubans still involved in military service. how were they convinced that military service would help them gain freedoms despite the discrimination?
2. The rebel government motivated Afro Cubans by promising total changes of the society. To what extent were these promised changes realized? Were some of these promises merely made up to gain support for the rebellion?
What are the similarities between Manzano and Batrell regarding their attitudes and practice of writing? What are the differences in reasons for why they sought to establish themselves as lettered men? What does this reveal about the significance of Black personal narrative production among Afro-Latinos in the 18th-19th century Atlantic world for political purposes and identity-making?
While discussing the focus on masculinity and the absence of women in Batrell’s narrative, Sanders states “historically the role of women insurrectionists is well documented” (Sanders 49). How are the roles of female insurrections documented? When and where do they exist in the archive?
1. In the Introduction it mentions how there were about little to zero soldiers who knew how to read or write. How did Batrell learn these skills? In what ways could or were soldiers punished for knowing this?
2. Ricardo mentions in the first chapter that he joined Juan Echeverria’s group to stand in the war. However, he also mentioned that there were several Spanish Volunteers “who said that they were ready to enlist”. Who’s side were these men on?
1. Emancipation in the 1880s of colonial Cuban society was a big step towards legal freedom for enslaved Afro-Latinos. However, did it translate into actual freedom, or did slavery and racism just take on a different and more subtle form?
2. What does the stance “Cuba for the Cubans” refer to? What were Afro-Cuban’s demands in pursuit of Cuba libre and what were the obstacles prolonging its realization?
1. Why does Bartell emphasize his race throughout his autobiography? In what contexts does he highlight it?
2. What does Bartell’s narrative speak to about relationships between different troops under the command of different leaders within the revolutionary army?
1.Did the Spanish troops also employ Afro Cubans (free or enslaved) to fight for their cause or was this only the criollos who did so?
2. I’m a little confused in the fight for Cuban independence was their explicit calls for racial justice or was this something the black soldiers fought for specifically themselves or was it something they be,I ever would come about after independence without Spanish influence?
In the introduction, it mentioned that Batrell, unlike other postwar memoirs, brought race to the center of his literature. Considering that 60 to 80 percent of the Liberation Army was black, was this why other memories ignored race altogether?
According to the introduction, Bartell thought it was a crime to the nation to omit race when discussing politics and history. Could the reason Bartell brought race to the center of literature be his ideology of the time? How much different would Bartell’s literature have been had he ignored race?
Given that the liberation army was majority black, how did the black experience in Cuba change, if at all, as a result?
The introduction mentions other forms of resistance that Afro Cubans engaged in, were these as effective as armed resistance or inconsequential?
1. Did Afro-Cuban slaves like Batrell and other Afro-Latin slaves choose to engage in wars, or were they forced to serve as soldiers?
2. Since the percentage of soldiers who could read and write was nearly zero, how did Batrell pick up such skills? How might troops be punished for having this knowledge?
1. Why was being forced out of the country a form of punishment for wanting to fight in war? especially occupying a higher military position (commanding officer), were the dynamics simply different from North America?
2. on page 11 it mentioned that young innocent transient workers were the unfortunate targets to kill after some men were killed within the column, as well as an old black man. How often were innocent black lives taken simply out of anger or any other unjust reasons?