Named
Santa María del Puerto Príncipe
by the colonizers in 1515, Camagüey was one of the first villages
founded by Pánfilo de Narváez during the third stage
of the Cuban conquest.
Located first in the north coast, where Nuevitas port is located
today, the settlers moved later to the south and finally established
the city by the shores of Tínima river, where Camagüey
city is still today. The population of that time were a hundred
Spaniards and about a thousand natives. When most part of the Spanish
colonizers, having realized that there were not big gold ore deposits,
moved to other neighboring regions of the continent still not colonized
by Spain, the few settlers that remained devoted their efforts to
cattle-raising, a practice that did not required much work force
for its development. Camagüey possessed enough lands and natural
conditions to develop live stock and, thus, in the 17th century
it was recognized for its development in this field. In 1668 the
city was attacked by English pirate Henry Morgan.
In 1826 the first martyrs for Cuban independence were murdered in
this territory. At the beginning of the Ten-Year War (1868-1878),
Ignacio Agramonte with group of brave men rose in rebellion. His
decision was irrevocable when he proclaimed: "Cuba does not
have other way than conquering its redemption from Spain by the
force of the arms."
In the war of 1895, the East-West Invasion advanced along the plains
of Camagüey joining the force of patriot
Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, 67 years old, and a group of enthusiast
fighters.
More than six decades after that, during the Civil War, columns
2 and 8, commanded by Camilo Cienfuegos and Ernesto Guevara respectively,
repeated the deed of their predecessors along the plains of Camagüey,
facing the risks of numberless ambushes, in their attempt to take
the insurrection efforts to the western part of the island. Ernesto
Guevara, the heroic guerrilla, wrote in 1958: "…one could
already feel the lack of shoes of the troops, most of which walked
bare-footed along the swamps to the south of Camagüey".
Príncipe
by the colonizers in 1515, Camagüey was one of the first villages
founded by Pánfilo de Narváez during the third stage
of the Cuban conquest. 
force
for its development. Camagüey possessed enough lands and natural
conditions to develop live stock and, thus, in the 17th century
it was recognized for its development in this field. In 1668 the
city was attacked by English pirate Henry Morgan.
Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, 67 years old, and a group of enthusiast
fighters.
