APONTE, JOSÉ ANTONIO (c. 1760–9 April 1812), Havana carpenter and wood sculptor of Yoruba origin, who was a veteran of the free Black militia and leader of an early Cuban movement against enslavement. Aponte organized the “Aponte Conspiracy,” one of the most prominent slave rebellions against the Cuban government, in March of 1812. The revolt took place on several sugar plantations outside of Havana, including upwards of 400 armed men, but was soon overpowered by government forces. Upon his arrest, Aponte testified to the existence of a particular artifact, a book of paintings, that he had created and circulated to impel the rebellion as a political and pedagogical tool.
When authorities in Havana searched Aponte’s home, they found, among the other collections, this libro de pinturas (book of drawings). Although the book was later lost, its memory lives on through other official documents and records of its description. Its contents were a mix of materials and images, including hand-drawn maps, scenes, and cut-out words. Among its many images were some showing Black men occupying positions of power (e.g., Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and Henri Christoph). Colonial officials at the time considered the book to be the premeditated blueprint and evidence of the revolution. Aponte was charged as leader of the rebellion and eventually hanged and decapitated on April 9, 1812. His head was displayed in an iron cage in front of the home where he had lived, and his hand was exhibited on another street, ostensibly to prevent future insurrections.