In this article, we analyze two texts by the Condesa de Merlin that address the topic of slavery and abolition in Cuba published at the height of the abolitionist debates in 1831 and 1841, respectively: Mis doce primeros años and Los esclavos en las colonias españolas. We trace the different positions used by the author to insert herself in a predominantly masculine public sphere and voice her opinion on political matters. In this way, we highlight a shift in her authorial position that moves from autobiography toward the use of the academic essay. At the same time, we aim to question the author’s changing stance on slavery and, in particular, the tension generated between the trope of female liberation in Mis doce primeros años and the anti-emancipation argument espoused in Los esclavos en las colonias españolas.
Keywords:
Condesa de Merlin, slavery, public sphere, 19th century, Cuba
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How to Cite
Maxwell, E. (2016). Feminine Genealogy, Rebellion and Slavery in Two Works by the Condesa de Merlin (Mercedes de Santa Cruz y Montalvo). Meridional. Revista Chilena De Estudios Latinoamericanos, (7), pp. 155–178. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-4862.2016.43543
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