During the Ten-Year War (1868-1878), Cienfuegos patriots massively joined, since 1869, the Liberation Army and carried out numberless actions along the territory. Later, during the Small War (1879-1880), the Spanish colonial army set up a fortified military line known as "trocha", which extended along the Santo Domingo, Cruces y Ranchuelo populations and which was reutilized along the Independence War (1895-1898) to stop the East-West invasion. Just to the south of Cruces, took place the famous Battle of Mal Tiempo, one of the most considerable defeats of the Spanish army and one of the biggest victories of the liberation army, commanded by Cuban generals Máximo Gómez, Antonio Maceo and Serafín Sánchez and counting on a force of 500 men, who totally defeated with their machetes a troop of about 700 Spanish soldiers to continue their way to Cuba's western territories.
Mal Tiempo National Park, located in the town of Cruces, recalls that historical event that took place there on December 15th, 1895. Another place of interest related to our history is that where a monument rises to the memory of Cuban Liberation Army Brigadier Henry Reeve, known as El Inglesito (little Englishman).
Later, during the civil war, Cienfuegos was taken over for a short period of time on September 5th, 1957 by Batista's regime Navy officers and members of 26 of July revolutionary movement in a proof of extraordinary bravery.