PRE-DISCOVERY
Taino people – full blown,
organized culture. Similair
to native American culture
– as far as artifacts, and
beliefs (different but
similar)
Most notable aspect for
understanding is that they
had a culture that was not
just PR, but trans-island
around the Caribbean.
Nov 19,1493
Columbus first discovery of
PR. (his 2nd trip over)
-came prepared to colonize,
but did not stay in PR long
- Hugely notable, almost
getting a separate point –
Pope Alexander VI’s papal
bull clearly prohibited all
persons “regardless of rank,
estate, degree, order or
condition” from entering
the area without special
license granted by the king
- combination of Catholic
Church and political
authority controlled access
to area. – only people that
were catholic were allowed
to settle.
1508
Ponce de Leon , begins
working towards Spanish
colonization.
- must work with Tiano
People, charatized by
political and social
struggles with Spanish
1521
PR established as the
“strongest foothold of
Spain in America”
- Tiano people couldn’t
hold there own with the
Spanish; either became
Labor force or fleed to
other island’s around the
Carib.
- PR was a strategic place
militarily, next period in
History Spain is creating
and keeping it as a bulwark
to protect the carabean.
See page 2
1815 “ On August 10, the
Royal Decree of Grace
(commerce liberty) was
issued, allowing all foreigners
to be admitted to Puerto Rico
and Islanders to trade with
other nations. At the same
time Puerto Rico's meager
gold supply was exhausted,
islanders struggled to develop
an agricultural economy.
Cattle, sugar cane, tobacco
and coffee were the main
investments.”
1837 Puerto Ricans promised
autonomy
1845 A statistical commission
was created, conducting a
reliable census. The total figures
are:
Whites........................... 216,083
Free
colored......................175,791
Slaves............................ 51,265
Total............................ 443,139
See Page 3
1869 The first political
parties are organized in the
island.
1873 Abolition of Slavery
in PR
1898 US takes control of
PR
1900 First Preseditally
appointed governor
Puerto Rico key to the
Indies – over the next 300
years PR developed as a
fort and colony for the
Spanish empire.
Fort. – initially PR
had no protection and
became the site for frequent
attacks by both political
powers (French, English,
Dutch) and pirates. Spanish
government changed its
strategy (around 1591) to
establishing PR as the
strongest point in defense in
Carabbean. This took a
while. So PR’s history was
consistently plagued with
invasions/attempted attacks.
And PR was dependant on
Spain for protection and
funding for protection,
because of the economic
system in place.
Coloney – PR was
directly under the authority
of the Spanish empire. All
of its income (officially)
came directly from the
empire. 2 ways –
1. exports –San Juan was
the only legal port and legal
trade with the non-Hispanic
world was forbidden. This
was the case until the 1790s
when PR was allowed to
directly trade with other
nations, however San Juan
was still the only legal port.
(until 1815)
The limitation of legal port
cities caused strange
population growth around
the island. The other cities
on the island were orginally
generally illegal ports.
The Spanish
Monolopy drove many of
the islanders to illegally
trading with other foreign
countries and indivudual
companies. Smuggling had
a crucrual role in the
ecomonic infrustructure of
the island. Around 80% of
the island’s income (from
Spain) was never spent
legally ( no tax records).
Revealing the substantial
amount of money going
through illegal channels.
- major exports are what
you would imagine, sugar
and coffee.
2. Military work – also paid
by Spanish government
- Gold Bullion was used as
the currency; PR’s
government got paid once a
year, on a shipment from
Mexico. This lead to a
number of problems.
1. Pirates
occasionally the shipment
would get hijacked, causing
(obviously) serisous
problems in the economy. –
another reason to push
people to selling goods on
the black market.
2. Distrubting the
money – this lead to a habit
of corruption by officials in
charge of this.
Relationships (over need or
priority) tended to govern
where and how the money
was distrubited. Gov’t
positions were appointed by
Spain.
The island has a long and
ingrained system of
dependence on outside
funds, (cash coming from
Spain each year)
smuggling, and a
relationally (rather than
priority) driven
governmental system.
Despite the economic
problems the Spanish
monolopy over the island
was causing, PR was a
coloney of Spain – that is
expected of a colony. The
people were generally very
loyal to Spain; even in the
midst of all of the other
revolutions during the late
1700s. PR was focused as
Spain’s anti-revoultionary
bastillion ( or base) in the
America’s.
Plantaions grew to be a
large part of the agriculture
system. In 1815 it was
declared that foreigners
(non-hispanic) could also
settle in PR and get free
land ( similar to the US
homestead act) provided
that the settler was Roman
Catholic.
From 1836 on PR had no
voice in Spanish
parliament, but had been
promised autonomy by the
Leyes Especiales, this led
to political discontent on
the island (waiting for
autonomy), in which some
precedents were set for
revolutionary thought and a
few key figures emerged.
PRE 1898 autonomy .
In the 1830s ideas of PR
autonomy became more
recognized, but Spanish
loyalties had to weaken
before any leaders were to
emerge. They were not
seeking to be completely
independent, but rather
autonomous – they make
their own civil decisions,
but are part of (and
protected by) Spain. Not
much happened on the
search for autonomy until
the 1860s.
There were a few organized
rebellions in the 1860s, but
Cuba was much more
involved in working
towards indepence than PR.
(Praise God that they didn’t
get independence together;
-knowing now, what Cuban
US relations have been like
-imagine Castro with two
major islands rather than
one)
1880s there were two
Political parties that began
to emerge, assimlists and
autonomists. ( still
concerning relationship
with Spanish rule).
Munoz Rivera began to
emerge as a leader of the
autonomist party (there
were others, but that’s a
good name to recognize)
and is credited with
achieving autonomy from
Spain, however shortly
before the American
occupation of Puerto Rico.
They worked up a charter,
had a system for the
governement to run and
gained their autonomy.
However the first
legislature meeting did not
convine until July 17, 8
days before the American
occupation.
The US obtained PR as a
result of the Spanish-
American War. The US
government saw it as very
important for national
security. The idea of
Manfest Destiny (that the
US has a God given
destiney to settle,…
basically the continent)
played into it. But also to
keep from having outside
influence in areas so close
to our borders – (proved
true – Cuban relationship
with US) .