The Spanish were known for cash cropping throughout their empire. When sugar and rice crops ended up requiring more labor, they turned to a dark option: slavery. While the establishment of the Atlantic slave trade led to the suffering and death of millions of innocent victims, a group of 23 marooned slaves in Esmeraldas, Ecuador found an opportunity. Instead of being condemned to work in the sugar fields, they were going to write their own destiny. Their grit and determination developed into their own distinct culture and mark on the world.