Conversation so far:
What kind of translation did José Martí do?
Much of the translating he did was imposed on him by economic necessity during his many years of exile in the United States.
What language did José Martí translate?
Spanish to English
What were the articles and pamphlets José Martí translated about?
As a revolutionary activist in Cuba's long struggle for independence he translated into English a number of articles and pamphlets supporting that movement.
Did José Martí translate for anyone else at the time?
Like many professionals, he undertook for money translation tasks which had little intellectual or emotional appeal for him.
Were all of the translations politically motivated that José Martí did?

Question: How did he get started in translations?
Self-contained rewrite: How did José Martí get started in trnalsations?