On July 4, 1851, Joaquín de Agüero y Agüero from Camagüey, together with a large group of conspirators, led the first armed rebellion against Spanish colonialism in Cuba.
After the death of his father, at the age of 24 and with a Bachelor’s degree in Law, he took charge of the family business and in 1842, together with some neighbors, founded a free public school in the town of Guáimaro.
Joaquín de Agüero y Agüero advocated for the cessation of slavery and on January 23, 1843 he granted freedom to his eight slaves, and gave them land, farm implements and money so that they could be independent; questioned by the authorities about the reasons for this action, the strong Camagüeyano replied » Complying with a duty of humanity and conscience!».
After these events he lived some months in Philadelphia, United States and when he returned to Cuba he printed pamphlets against the colonial government, publicly criticized the arbitrariness of the regime and at the end of 1849 he participated in the foundation of the Liberating Society of Puerto Principe, a clandestine organization created to organize the fight for the independence from Spain, which extended its activities to other parts of the Island.
Initially a representative of annexationism, in support of the expedition of Narciso López, he took up arms with about 60 men in San Francisco de Jucaral, municipality of Guáimaro, where he organized a camp of rebels and on July 4, 1851 he declared himself in rebellion against the metropolis and, accompanied by a large group of conspirators, drafted an act of independence.
It is said that on that 4th of July Agüero spoke to his soldiers saying «This is the greatest moment of my life and it can only be compared to the day when I gave freedom to my slaves«.
And according to history the document alleged «In fact and in law we constitute ourselves in open rebellion against all acts or laws arising from our former metropolis: we disown all authority of any kind and category, whose appointments and powers do not bring their origin in the majority of the people of Cuba«.
