Antonio Maceo (1845-1896) was a Cuban patriot who rose to the rank of general in Cuba's Independence Army and became a hero of the wars which ended Spanish domination over Cuba.

Antonio Maceo was born in Santiago de Cuba on June 14, 1845. He was the son of Marcos Maceo, a Venezuelan émigré, and of a free Cuban black, Mariana Grajales, one of the outstanding women in Cuba's history. Young Maceo spent his early years on his father's small farm in Oriente Province and received most of his education at home from private tutors. He also worked on his father's farm, making occasional trips to Santiago de Cuba to sell agricultural products.

The island was then experiencing revolutionary turmoil as Cuban patriots conspired to rid themselves of Spanish control. Unhappy with Spanish domination and horrified by the exploitation of the black slaves, Maceo entered the Masonic lodge of...