History of Camagüey, Cuba
The history of Camagüey is very rich; this region has made many contributions to the country´s heritage since, among other aspects to highlight, is one of the first seven Cuban villages, founded in 1514 in a coastal town with the original name of Santa Maria del Puerto del Principe. Eventually it was reduced to Puerto Príncipe. Read more...
Camagüey, aboriginal term which means son of the Camagua tree, has been its official name since 1903. Three of the Cuban Constitutional Assemblies took place in Camagüey. The first of all, on April 10, 1869, in the town of Guáimaro, served to approve and put into practice the first Cuban Constitution. The second was held in the fields of Jimaguayú, in 1895; and the third one was celebrated in La Yaya, in 1897.
Historical Characters of Camagüey
The most prominent historical figure of Camagüey is Ignacio Agramonte y Loynaz, who led the region's army in the first stage of the war of independence; Ignacio was known as El Mayor, for his military exploits in the insurgent camp. In the Republican scene, characters such as Cándido González, leader among the students and expeditionary of the yacht Granma, and Jesús Suárez Gayol, who was the first Cuban to be killed in action as part of the guerrilla Che in Bolivia, are distinguished.