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BAYAMO

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 554 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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BAYAMO , an old inland See also:

city on the N. slope of the Sierra Maestra in See also:Santiago See also:province, See also:Cuba. Pop. (1907) 4102. It lies on a See also:plain by the Bayamo See also:river, in a fertile See also:country, but isolated from See also:sea and from railway. Its older parts are extraordinarily irregular. The streets are of all widths, and of all degrees of crookedness, and run in all directions. Bayamo was the third of the seven cities founded by Diego See also:Velazquez, and was established in 1513. During much of the 16th See also:century it was one of the most important agricultural and commercial settlements of the See also:island. Its inland situation gave it relative See also:security against the pirates who then infested See also:West See also:Indian seas, and the misfortunes of Santiago were the fortunes of Bayamo. Down the river Cauto, then open to the sea for vessels of 200 tons, and through See also:Manzanillo, Bayamo drove a thriving See also:contraband See also:trade that made it at the opening of the 17th century the leading See also:town of Cuba. A tremendous See also:flood, in 1616, choking the Cauto with trees and wrecked vessels, cut it off from See also:direct See also:access to the sea; but through Manzanillo it continued a See also:great clandestine See also:traffic with See also:Curacao, See also:Jamaica, and other See also:foreign islands all through the 17th and 18th centuries. Bayamo was then surrounded by See also:fine plantations.

It was a See also:

rich and turbulent city. In the See also:war of 1868–78 it was an insurgent stronghold; near it was fought one of the most desperate conflicts of the war, and it was nearly destroyed by the opposing parties. Bayamo was the birthplace and the See also:home of See also:Carlos See also:Manuel de See also:Cespedes (1819-1874), first See also:president of the " first " Cuban See also:republic, and was also the birthplace and home of Tomas See also:Estrada See also:Palma (1835–1908), first president of the See also:present Cuban republic.

End of Article: BAYAMO

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