The heritage of Africans in Mexico after Christopher Columbus is a topic that has been overlooked in the history books of the Americas. One of the key figures in African history in the Americas, who has been largely neglected, is Gaspar Yanga. Yanga was the founder of the town Yanga, located in the Veracruz region of Mexico, between the Port of Veracruz and Córdoba. It is among the first free African settlements in the Americas after the start of the European slave trade.
Gaspar Yanga’s story is one of resilience and resistance. While official reports regarding his history are lacking, local lore provides insight into his remarkable journey. It is said that Yanga escaped slavery from the region of the Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion plantation in 1570. According to regional lore, Yanga was a prince stolen from a royal family in Gabon, Africa. The word “Yanga” has origins in many regions of West and Central Africa, including the Yoruba regions in Nigeria where it means “pride”.
Between 1570 and 1609, Yanga led his followers into the mountains located in the vicinity of Pico de Orizaba, the Cofre de Perote, Zongolica, and Olmec regions. The Olmec, who controlled this region during their empire over the area (1200 BC to 400 BC), had jurisdiction over what is now known as Mexico. Yanga’s leadership resulted in the establishment of a maroon settlement, or palenque, which would become a symbol of resistance against colonial Spain. In 1609, Spain’s viceroy of New Spain, Luis de Velasco, Marquis of Salinas, sent Captain Pedro González on a military expedition against the Yanga palenques. The ensuing battle at Rio Blanco resulted in significant losses on both sides.
By 1631, the viceroy of New Spain Rodrigo Pacheco began negotiations with the Gaspar Yanga resistance. Yanga struck an agreement with the colonial leader respecting Spain’s recognition of an autonomous region for the African community. The first official name was San Lorenzo de los Negros (aka San Lorenzo de Cerralvo), near Córdova. Since 1932, the Mexican town has borne the name of its liberator Gaspar Yanga.
The significance of Yanga’s legacy is not lost on the people of Mexico and America. The town’s history is promoted by individuals such as Gordillo Jaime Trujillo and his wife Maria Dolores Flores, who emphasize its importance as the birthplace of freedom. “It is a great deal and has not been taken into account. This town is the birthplace of freedom. The most important legacy of black Yanga is freedom. Freedom is what we appreciate most in this community,” said Trujillo.
Despite the lack of definitive records regarding Yanga’s date of death, historians and anthropologists such as Antonio García de León have pointed to potential sources of information in the national archives of Mexico and Spain. The first information about Yanga arose in the second half of the nineteenth century by the historian and military man Vicente Riva Palacio, grandson of Mexico’s first black president, Vicente Guerrero. Today, the town reportedly hosts the “Carnival of Negritude” every August 10th in honor of Gaspar Yanga. The town reports approximately 20,000 citizens that are now primarily considered mestizo, Spanish for “mixed heritage”.
Gaspar Yanga’s story serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of the African community in Mexico during a tumultuous period in history. His legacy continues to be celebrated and serves as a reminder of the enduring struggle for freedom and autonomy. As efforts continue to uncover more about his life and contributions, it is clear that Gaspar Yanga’s impact on Mexican history is significant and worthy of recognition.