page_title: History of Tampa, Florida
section_title: Cubans
hierarchical_section_title: History of Tampa, Florida / Late 19th Century growth / Cigar industry / Ybor City / Immigrants / Cubans
caption_attribution_description: English: Cuban patriot Jose Marti poses with cigar factory workers after giving a speech in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida in 1893
context_page_description: The modern history of Tampa, Florida, can be traced to the founding of Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in today's downtown in 1824, soon after the United States had taken possession of Florida from Spain. The outpost brought a small population of civilians to the area, and the town of Tampa was first incorporated in 1855.
  Growth came slowly as poor transportation links, conflicts with the Seminole tribe, and repeated outbreaks of yellow fever made development difficult. The Civil War and Reconstruction caused the city government to disincorporate for over a decade.
  In the 1880s the construction of the first railroad links laid by Henry B. Plant brought the development of thriving cigar and phosphate industries. The founding of the cigar-centered neighborhood of Ybor City in 1885 brought an influx of Cubans, Spaniards, Italians, and other immigrants. Tampa's population jumped from less than 800 residents in 1880 to over 15,000 in 1900, making it one of the largest cities in Florida.
  By the 20th century Tampa emerged as a modern financial, trade, and commercial hub.
context_section_description: In the early 1890s, José Martí was invited to Ybor City to collect funding for the cause of Cuban independence, which he did alongside Paulina Pedroso.
caption: José Martí with cigar factory workers in Ybor City, 1893.
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