Portrait of José Martí

José Martí

Cuban poet, philosopher and nationalist

Lived
1853–1895
Country
Mexico
Also writes as
muschacho

Updated September 2026

About José Martí

José Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the liberation of his country from Spain. He was also an important figure in Latin American literature. He was a political activist and is considered an important philosopher and political theorist. Through his writings and political activity, he became a symbol of Cuba's bid for independence from the Spanish Empire in the 19th century and is referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence". From adolescence on, he dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty, political independence for Cuba, and intellectual independence for all Spanish Americans; his death was used as a cry for Cuban independence from Spain by both the Cuban revolutionaries and those Cubans previously reluctant to start a revolt.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Authors like José Martí

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.