0 , 7 7 3 , ▁compr ising ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁overall ▁population . ▁By ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁ 5 3 , 3 3 1 ▁slaves ▁made ▁up ▁ 6 2 . 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Mat anz as . ▁Census ▁figures ▁for ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁put ▁the ▁Mat anz as ▁slave ▁population ▁at ▁ 1 0 4 , 5 1 9 . ▁Mat anz as ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁several ▁slave ▁ins urre ctions ▁and ▁plots , ▁including ▁the ▁inf am ous ▁Es cal era ▁consp i racy ▁( dis cover ed ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 8 4 3 ). ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁number ▁of ▁both ▁slaves ▁and , ▁important ly , ▁free ▁Af ro - C ub ans ▁in ▁Mat anz as , ▁the ▁ret ention ▁of ▁African ▁trad itions ▁is ▁especially ▁strong ▁there . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁Mat anz as ▁became ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish – American ▁War . ▁The ▁city ▁was ▁bomb arded ▁by ▁American ▁Navy ▁vessels ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁just ▁after ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Name ▁origin ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Mat anz as ▁means ▁" mass acre " ▁and ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁put ative ▁sla ugh ter ▁at ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name , ▁in ▁which ▁ 3 0 ▁Spanish ▁soldiers ▁tried ▁to ▁cross ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁rivers ▁to ▁attack ▁an ▁ab original ▁camp