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Antonio Maceo, called "the Titan of Bronze," was born on June, 14, 1845 in Santiago de Cuba. He fought in both the War of Independence and the Ten Years' War, becoming one of the era's greatest guerilla leaders.
Maceo, his father, and his brothers all joined in the Ten Years' War. Maceo fought bravely and commanded his force so effectively that he eventually became the number two leader of the Army of Liberation.
The army suffered severely from its lack of coordination and an internal struggle for power. Many thought they could do better than Céspedes and eventually kicked him out. The revolution was unsuccessful.
In 1878, Maceo would not end the war with Spain. Cuba had not yet gained independence nor had it abolished slavery. Since he would not give in, Maceo ultimately was forced to leave.
In New York with Calixto García, Maceo planned to invade Cuba. When the War of Independence began, Maceo headed back to Cuba. Things looked bad when the United States seized three boats with arms that the revolutionaries were planning to take to Cuba.
During the war, Maceo lead the East-to-West invasion. His troops, in just three months time, advanced over 1,000 miles. Valeriano Weyler realized that he had to stop Maceo.
In early December of 1896, Maceo was killed during an attempt to join up with Máximo Gómez. When he died, dreams of a free Cuba died too.