During the years of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Africans used many methods to resist their captors. While much of the resistance included escaping to freedom, there were times when slaves outright rebelled for their liberty. In one of the more successful armed uprisings, an enslaved African not only successfully won his freedom, but established his own kingdom in the Americas. He is none other than Miguel De Buria, the first of his name.
Miguel De Buria was born in the early 16th century. The exact location of his birthplace is unknown, but it is commonly believed that he was born in San Juan. By the 1530’s his status was that of an enslaved African man living in Puerto Rico. It was observed that Miguel was a practicing Christain, and that in the face of the terrible treatment that he received while enslaved, he always carried himself with dignity.
Much of the information about Miguel’s early life has been lost to history, leading to considerable speculation about his origins.
During his time as a slave Miguel was said to have been treated with great respect from the other enslaved Africans he came into contact with. This has led to the belief that he was of royal descent.
While that theory is plausible, as there are cases of African monarchs who were victims of the slave trade, it remains unconfirmed.
At the time, racist beliefs dictated that Africans should behave in a subservient manner. Miguel’s dignified presence may have been misinterpreted by prejudiced slave owners as a sign of noble rebelliousness, rather than simply a reflection of his character.
Eventually Miguel’s owner Damien Del Barrio transferred him to what is today the Yaracuy region of Venezuela, where he and the other enslaved Africans were forced to work in the Real de Minas de San Felipe de Buria (The Mines of San Felipe).
Working in the mines was an exhausting and dangerous form of slavery. With harsh conditions rampant, it would not be long before abuse by overseers would provoke a reaction from men like Miguel.
In 1552, tensions erupted when an overseer named Diego Hernández de Serpa attempted to whip him. Miguel fought back, disarmed the man, and escaped into the surrounding wilderness. By nightfall, he returned to the area, this time not to work, but to rally his fellow Africans for an uprising.
Together, they launched a well-organized rebellion against the slavers of the San Felipe mines. Their efforts were successful: the enslaved Africans were freed, and the overseers were dealt a heavy blow. Those who had inflicted cruel punishments, such as flogging and branding, were made to suffer the same. However, Miguel’s forces refrained from carrying out a complete massacre. Several of them were left alive with a warning to leave the newly freed Africans alone, and a threat of destruction if the Spaniards attempted to re-enslave them.
Upon the completion of their uprising, the Africans soon looked to build their own kingdom. Miguel was made their king of Buría, and soon set about organizing his followers into different positions, with his most trusted followers being made his chief advisors.
The Africans also formed an army and got to work arming themselves with swords, spears, blow darts, and bows and arrows. Boundaries were enacted, and vigilant sentries were set up to keep watch for Spanish war parties. Miguel then took a woman named Guiomar as his wife and queen. Additionally, his son was named prince of the kingdom. With an established heir and advisors behind him, Miguel was ready to begin his reign as the first King of Buria.
As the first African king in the Americas, Miguel’s top priority was to safeguard his kingdom and protect his people from re-enslavement. He welcomed runaway slaves into his territory and sought alliances with local Indigenous groups. However, despite having a strong position to defend, Miguel was forced to raid Spanish plantations for supplies. Buria was located in an arid and mountainous region of Venezuela, making food production extremely difficult.
As they conducted raids on towns and plantations throughout Venezuela, Spanish authorities were greatly alarmed by the proficiency that the formerly enslaved displayed in warfare. The night attacks launched by Miguel were particularly effective, where the war paint and cries combined with the Burians’ confusing battle formation tricked their enemies into believing that there were many more of them than there were in actuality.
While the Spaniards may have been inclined to ignore a distant maroon settlement that lived in isolation, they were extremely alarmed at one that conducted raids. Furthermore, with every raid that was commenced, more and more Africans joined his kingdom. The threat of Miguel forming a large African kingdom spurred the Spaniards to fully deploy their land forces against The Kingdom of Buria.
A major engagement between the Spaniards and Burians was fought in the city of Barquisimeto. Miguel’s forces conducted a successful night attack that overwhelmed the initial defenders and defeated the reinforcements that the Spaniards had proactively activated.
While the Kingdom of Buría had seen remarkable success in its initial rebellion and resistance against Spanish forces, its success would not last. In 1555, the Spanish authorities eventually organized a retaliatory expedition led by Diego de Losada to crush the kingdom. As the Spanish force advanced, they captured several Burían women who cried out to warn their people of the approaching danger. In response, the Burians hastily armed themselves and prepared for battle.
Despite the Spaniards breaching the kingdom’s gates, the Burians mounted fierce resistance. A brutal battle ensued, with King Miguel leading his forces from the front lines. Tragically, he was killed during the fighting. His death dealt a devastating blow to Burían morale, and the resistance quickly crumbled. Those who survived the battle and were not executed were re-enslaved, including Miguel’s wife and young son.
Even though the Kingdom of Buría was short-lived, it left a powerful legacy behind. Miguel’s fight for freedom became a symbol of hope for generations of oppressed people during the long, painful journey toward liberation. His story didn’t just echo in Venezuela, it reached across all of Latin America, where he’s remembered with deep respect for standing up to slavery and daring to build something greater.
Sources:
Miguel de Buría : Agudo Freytes, Raúl : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/miguel-de-buria-0014059
