abuse and intermixing with the Spaniards also contributed to their decline. But by this time, Taíno slavery had been outlawed, due to the intervention of Dominican friar, Bartolomé de Las Casas, who instead suggested to the Spanish crown to import enslaved Africans for the labor. This action made Santo Domingo the first colony to do so. The first Africans to arrive on the island were known as Black Ladinos. These Christianized Africans, who were completely assimilated into the Spanish culture, were brought into the island to replace the Taínos. But just as with the Taínos, life for the newly arrived Africans in the colony was just as hellish. From being forced into harsh labor on the plantations, having absolutely no rights or freedom, and having to endure racial animosity was a nightmarish experience. This pushed them enough to escape from the plantations, while others planned to stage an uprising. On December 25, 1521, Maria Olofa and Gonzalo Mandinga, a romantic couple, led the first major slave revolt in the Americas. This revolt lasted for a year until being brutally crushed by the Admiral in December 1522. Laws were introduced to prevent more rebellions and uprising from transpiring, even enforcing harsh punishments on those who wished to stage another revolt. But unfortunate for the Spaniards, many of the slaves successfully escaped to establish independent Maroon communities. This revolt laid the foundation of rebellions on the island, which in turn would result in more uprisings to transpire not only in the island, but the entire Americas. Life as a slave Lemba, who had been captured by the Spanish, arrived in the colony to work on the plantations. Rebellion Lemba and a group of slaves rose up against the Spanish colony around the year 1532. They escaped and went to the mountainous interior of the island and for several years fought against the Spanish authorities. Lemba and his group were soon joined by other rebelling slaves. There were estimated to be around 150 and 400 men fighting in the rebellion. Lemba and these men operated like an army. They went throughout villages, ransacking and attacking the Spaniards while liberating other slaves. Death Ultimately, on September 25, 1547, Lemba was captured. The circumstances, place and precise date of his death are unclear, however, some sources point to a time period somewhere between 1547 and 1548, in San Juan de la Maguana or elsewhere in