Puerto Rico

History

Main article: History of Puerto Rico

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Europeans first arrived, the island of Puerto Rico was inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as Taínos. The Taínos called the island "Borikén." The first European contact was made by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the Antilles, on November 19, 1493. Originally named San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist, the island ultimately took the name of Puerto Rico (Rich Port); while the name San Juan is now delegated to its capital and largest city. Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the island's first governor to take office, while Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was the first appointed governor, though he never arrived on the island.

Related Topics:
Arawak - Indians - Taíno - Christopher Columbus - November 19 - 1493 - John the Baptist - San Juan - Conquistador - Juan Ponce de León - Governor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The island was soon colonized and became briefly an important stronghold and port for the Spanish empire in the Caribbean. However, colonial emphasis during the late 17th–18th centuries, focused on the more prosperous mainland territories, leaving the island impoverished of settlers. Concerned about threats from its European enemies, over the centuries various forts and walls were built to protect the port of San Juan. Fortresses such as La Fortaleza, El Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristóbal were built. The French, Dutch and English made attempts to capture Puerto Rico, but failed to wrest long-term occupancy of the island.

Related Topics:
Island - Spanish empire - Caribbean - San Juan - La Fortaleza - El Castillo San Felipe del Morro - Fort San Cristóbal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1809, while Napoleon occupied the majority of the Spanish peninsula, a populist assembly based in Cadiz recognized Puerto Rico as an overseas province of Spain with the right to send representatives to the Spanish Court. The representative Ramon Power y Giralt died soon after arriving in Spain; and constitutional reforms were reversed when autocratic monarchy was restored. Nineteenth century reforms augmented the population and economy, and expanded the local character of the island. After the rapid gains of independence by the South and Central American states in the first part of the century, Puerto Rico and Cuba became the sole New World remnants of the large Spanish empire.

Related Topics:
1809 - Cadiz - Ramon Power y Giralt - Cuba

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Toward the end of the 19th century, poverty and political estrangement with Spain led to a small but significant uprising in 1868 known as "El Grito de Lares." The Puerto Rican goal was to achieve personal freedom, the abolition of slavery, and full self-government. The uprising was easily and quickly crushed. Leaders of this independence movement included Ramón Emeterio Betances, considered the "father" of the Puerto Rican nation, and other political figures such as Segundo Ruiz Belvis. Later another political stronghold was the autonomist movement originated by Roman Baldorioty de Castro, and towards the end of the century, by Luis Muñoz Rivera. In 1897, Muñoz Rivera and others persuaded the liberal Spanish government to agree to a Charters of Autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico. The following year Puerto Rico's first, but short-lived autonomous government was organized. The charter maintained a governor appointed by Spain, who held the power to anull any legislative decision he disagreed with, and a partially elected parliamentary structure.

Related Topics:
19th century - Grito de Lares - Ramón Emeterio Betances - Segundo Ruiz Belvis - Roman Baldorioty de Castro - Luis Muñoz Rivera

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On July 25, 1898 at the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico, being a colony of Spain was invaded by the United States of America with a landing at Guánica. Spain was forced to cede Puerto Rico, along with Cuba and the Phillipines, to the United States under the Treaty of Paris (1898) {{ref|TreatyParis1898}}. The twentieth century began under the military regime of the United States with officials, including the governor, appointed by the President of the United States. In 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act approved by the United States Congress granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. Natural disasters and the Great Depression impoverished the island. Some political leaders demanded change, some like Pedro Albizu Campos would lead a nationalist (The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party) movement in favor of independence. He would eventually die by what he claimed was a conspiracy set in place by the U.S. Federal Governement. Muñoz Rivera initially favored independence, but saw a severe decline of the Puerto Rican economy, as well as growing violence and uprisings, at the hands of the U.S. government and opted to create the "commonwealth" option as an eventual stepping stone to full out independence. While that option survived several decades and had its benefits, it has proven to be stagnating the economy rather than setting it free.

Related Topics:
July 25 - 1898 - Spanish–American War - United States of America - Guánica - Treaty of Paris (1898) - President of the United States - 1917 - Jones-Shafroth Act - Citizenship - Great Depression - Pedro Albizu Campos - Nationalist - Puerto Rican Nationalist Party

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Change in the nature of governance of the island came about during the latter years of the Roosevelt–Truman administrations, as a form of compromise spearheaded by Luis Muñoz Marín and others, and which culminated with the appointment by President Harry S. Truman in 1946 of the first Puerto Rican-born governor, Jesús T. Piñero. In 1948, the United States granted the right to democratically elect the governor of Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Marín would become the first elected governor of Puerto Rico.

Related Topics:
Roosevelt - Truman - Luis Muñoz Marín - 1946 - Jesús T. Piñero - 1948 - Governor of Puerto Rico

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempted to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. In response, Truman allowed for a genuinely democratic referendum in Puerto Rico to determine the status of its relationship to the United States {{ref|Act1950}}.

Related Topics:
November 1 - 1950 - Griselio Torresola - Oscar Collazo - Harry S. Truman - Referendum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Puerto Rico adopted its own constitution in 1952 which adopted a commonwealth relationship with the United States {{ref|ConstPR_sp}}{{ref|ConstPR_eng}}. During the 1950s Puerto Rico experienced a rapid industrialization, with such projects as Operation Bootstrap which aimed to industrialize Puerto Rico's economy from agriculture-based into manufacturing-based.

Related Topics:
Constitution - 1952 - Commonwealth - United States - 1950s - Operation Bootstrap

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Present-day Puerto Rico has become a major tourist destination and a leading pharmaceutical and manufacturing center. Still, Puerto Rico continues to struggle to define its political status. A number of plebiscites have been held over the last decades to decide whether Puerto Rico should request independence, enhanced commonwealth status, or statehood. Narrow victories by commonwealth supporters over statehood advocates have not yielded substantial changes in the relationship between the island and United States. However, commonwealth, which once had the support of well over 75% of the population, now has less than 50% support. This decrease has been met with an expanded support for statehood for the island, with both groups holding an equal share of support. The independence ideal, once the second leading ideology on the island in the general elections, is now supported by 3–6% of the population.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~