Matanzas was founded in 1693 as San Carlos y San Severino de Matanzas. This followed a royal decree ("real c�dula") issued on September 25, 1690 which decreed that the bay and port of Matanzas be settled by 30 families from the Canary Islands.
Matanzas was one of the regions that saw intensive development of sugar plantations during the colonial era. Consequently, many African slaves were imported to support the sugar industry, particularly during the first half of the nineteenth century. For example, in 1792 there were 1900 slaves in Matanzas, roughly 30% of its population. In 1817, the slave population of Matanzas had grown to 10,773, comprising nearly 50% of the overall population. By 1841, 53,331 slaves made up 62.7% of the population of Matanzas. Census figures for 1859 put the Matanzas slave population at 104,519. Matanzas was the site of several slave insurrections and plots, including the infamous Escalera conspiracy (discovered in late 1843). Due to the high number of both slaves and, importantly, free Afro-Cubans in Matanzas, the retention of African traditions is especially strong there. In 1898, Matanzas became the location of the first action in the Spanish-American War. The city was bombarded by American Navy vessels on April 25, 1898, just after the beginning of the war.
Name origin
The name Matanzas means "massacre" and refers to a putative slaughter at the port of the same name in which 30 Spanish soldiers were crossing one of the rivers to attack an aboriginal camp on the far shore. The Spanish soldiers didn't have any boats, so they enlisted the help of some native fishermen. However, once they reached the middle of the river, the fishermen flipped the boats, and due to the Spanish soldiers' heavy metal armor, most of them drowned. Only two women�one said to be the beautiful Mar�a de Estrada�survived, the result of being "taken" by a Cacique. De Estrada is said to have later escaped the "power of the Cacique" and
