Antillean Confederation Explained

Conventional Long Name:Antillean Confederation
Native Name:Confederación Antillana
Flag Caption:The flag of the Grito de Lares revolt was proposed as the flag of the confederation
Motto:The Antilles for the Antilleans
Las Antillas para los antillanos (Spanish)
Largest City:Santo Domingo
Havana
San Juan
Official Languages:Spanish
Area Km2:167429.78
Area Rank:89
Today:

The Antillean Confederation was the proposed idea of Ramón Emeterio Betances about the need for peoples of the Spanish-speaking Greater Antilles in the Caribbean to unite into an alliance in order to preserve the sovereignty and interests of Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Supporters of the idea wanted to free the Spanish island possessions of Cuba and Puerto Rico, later uniting them with the Dominican Republic in Hispaniola, creating one united Spanish Caribbean nation.

The idea was supported by many of the generals who fought in wars such as the Dominican War of Independence, the Dominican Restoration War, the Ten Years' War, the Little War, the Cuban War of Independence, and the Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) revolt in Puerto Rico. Support was strongest from the 1850s up until the Spanish–American War, which transferred the possessions of Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain to the United States, since then the support for the idea largely faded away.

Its main aim was to subsequently end European colonialism in the Americas as well as a response to the Monroe Doctrine phrase America for the Americans, which Betances changed to Antilles for the Antilleans. The main gathering point of the idealists was San Felipe de Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

From the ideal of the (Antillean Confederation) another idea was born in the 1900s by José de Diego, The Antillean Union

Strong supporters of this idea:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Subjects - LibGuides at Hostos Community College Library.