born April 18, 1819, Bayamo, Cuba
died March 22?, 1874, San Lorenzo
Cuban revolutionary hero.
Born to a prominent plantation family, he studied law in Spain. On returning to Cuba, he opened a law practice and secretly organized an independence movement. He launched his insurrection in 1868. Thousands flocked to his rebel army, which scored some stunning victories. He led a revolutionary government, which actively sought annexation by the U.S. Céspedes was deposed in 1873 and went into hiding, but he was discovered and shot by Spanish troops.