Large-scale coffee in Nicaragua began in the 1850s, and by 1870 it was the main export. Historically the best coffee came from Matagalpa and Jinotega.
Coffee land came from indigenous communities. A March 1881 law proposed abolishing those communities and privatising their land, and judges recruited 'voluntary' workers who were often forced onto coffee farms.
On 18 August 1881 nearly 3,000 indigenous people stormed Matagalpa demanding an end to forced labour. Government forces killed at least 500 rebels, and a persecution of about five months followed.
What the record says
- Large-scale coffee growing began in Nicaragua in the 1850s, and by 1870 coffee was the main export crop.1
- The 1891 crop was over 5 million kg from about 31,000 hectares.1
- Coffee was moved to the coast by the National Railroad from Granada to Corinto and by steamship on Lake Nicaragua and the San Juan River.1
- On 18 August 1881 nearly 3,000 indigenous people broke into Matagalpa demanding the abolition of forced labour. Their leaders were shot and at least 500 rebels were killed.2
- A 1906 law forced the sale of half of indigenous communal land, and about 25,500 acres went to coffee growers between 1895 and 1911.2
- Coffee made up 64% of Nicaragua's exports in 1911.2
Death tolls for 1881 come from one source (José Luis Rocha in Revista Envío), which also gives a higher estimate of about 5,000 deaths; we used the lower figure. No drinking ritual or lost art was sourced. Modern facts such as cooperatives and Hurricane Mitch were not covered by opened sources.
- Coffee production in Nicaragua · Wikipedia in the bibliography
- The Chronicle of Coffee: History, Responsibility and Questions · Revista Envío (Central American University, Managua), 2001 in the bibliography
