Remarks on the History of Science and Technology in Nineteenth-Century Camaguey City

Abstract

Context: The current province of Camaguey, in the Nineteenth Century. All science and technology with a broad perspective. Aims: To systematize science and innovation; identify their major manifestations, figures, and institutions; to study the socioeconomic conditions that originated it; to show the landmarks and regularities that define the historical timeline. Methods: Theoretical (historical-logical, analytical-synthetic, and inductive-deductive), empirical ( documentary review and discussions with historians in the province of Camaguey). Results: The study distinguished two stages in science and innovation in the province. 1) 1813-1868, with two periods (1813-1856, and 1857-1868), characterized by the activity of Amigos del Pais Economic Society. 2) 1869-1898, in which the number of manifestations was much lower because the two independence war scenarios did not favor this trend or the preservation of evidence. Conclusions: Various evidence of science and innovation in the nineteenth Century was found, though there were no records of scientific institutions or professional researchers, as well as no effective support for research. Science was conducted by a reduced number of local figures or individuals temporarily settled in the community, who thanks to their wealth, could acquire solid academic education and engage in this area out of their personal and spontaneous motivations, sporadically, usually encouraged by their foreign scientific acquaintances.

Keywords

• local historiography
• cuban colonial period
• santa maría del puerto del príncipe
• amigos del pais economic society