Brief history of puerto rico: Puerto Rico – HISTORY
A Brief History Of Puerto Rico
When we hear of Puerto Rico, often the first things that come to mind are its beautiful beaches, blue seas and warm weather. It was a long road for Puerto Rico to become as iconic as it is today, but the question is how? The island has a cultural history that has influenced its identity, such as Boricua, a term you may have heard before. Let’s take a look at what started it all, how the island got its name, and what the term Boricua is all about in this short history of Puerto Rico.
Who are the Taíno?
The beautiful island we now know as Puerto Rico wasn’t always called that. The island was initially discovered by an indigenous group called the Taíno, who lived there for thousands of years. This original population called the island Borikén (also written Boriquén), which means “the great land of the brave and noble lord.” In Borikén they lived everyday life in yucayeques (small villages), under the guidance of their caciques (leaders).
The daily routines of the Taíno consisted of fishing, hunting, and farming, growing crops such as sweet potatoes, pineapple and yucca. According to archaeological research, it’s estimated that between 30,000 and 50,000 Taíno lived on the island before the arrival of the Spanish.
How did Puerto Rico get its name?
During Christopher Columbus’s second expedition to the New World in 1493, he arrived on the island for the first time and met the Taíno. The indigenous population showed Columbus around the island as well as the natural resources and gold in their possession, hoping that they could form alliances with Columbus and the Spanish to protect the island. The Spanish had their own plans to take over the island and its resources, however, and that’s what happened. Columbus changed the name of the island, previously named by the Taíno, from Borikén to San Juan Bautista.
In 1508, Juan de León first arrived on the island as an explorer, and it wasn’t until the 1520s that he established the first settlement, named San Juan, which we know today as the capital of Puerto Rico.
San Juan became a useful military outpost for Spain, as they were receiving attacks from the Dutch, the English and the French who were all trying to take possession of Puerto Rico. At the same time, the name of the island was changed for the second time, and San Juan Bautista officially became Puerto Rico.
The impact of Spanish rule on the Taíno
Despite attempts by the Taíno to resist the Spanish and protect their island, they were in the end subjugated by Juan de Leon. The Spanish then produced cattle and other crops, such as sugar cane, tobacco and coffee, which led to a high demand for labor and the importation of slaves. Meanwhile, the Spanish also brought European diseases with them. Both slavery and these European diseases caused a high mortality rate for the Taino population, and according to the 1530 census, only 1,148 Taíno were reported to still live in Puerto Rico.
The liberation of Puerto Rico
It wasn’t until the Spanish-American War that Puerto Rico won its freedom from Spanish rule, with the help of the United States.
With the Treaty of Paris of 1898, Spain agreed to cede Puerto Rico to the United States. In 1917, Puerto Ricans officially gained U.S. citizenship, and a few decades later in 1952, the island became a commonwealth of the United States, allowing Puerto Rico to draft its own constitution and granting more powers of self-government. It is now an unincorporated U.S. territory, and Puerto Rico’s relationship with the United States is complicated.
The Taíno culture today
If there’s one thing we should take away from this, it’s that the Taíno are still remembered for their efforts to protect their paradise and shape Puerto Rican culture. And speaking of culture, if it were not for the Taíno language, the term Boricua wouldn’t exist. Derived from the original name of the island Borikén, Boricua is used to describe native Puerto Ricans of indigenous Taíno roots.
If you ever hear someone identify themselves as Boricua, you’ll know how much reverence they have for their Taíno ancestors and their traditional culture.
There are even Puerto Rican towns that have kept their native names, showing the influence that the Taíno have on the island today. Utuado, Caguas and Mayagüez are some of the smaller towns known by their Taíno names, for example. If you visit Puerto Rico, you’ll also be able to see the petroglyphs, tombs and Taíno caves that show Taino culture is still alive in the story of Puerto Rico.
This article was originally published on the Spanish edition of Babbel Magazine.
A Brief History of Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico formally known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and previously known as and often referred to as Porto Rico is the biggest insular region of the United States of America and it is situated in the northeast region of the Caribbean Sea. It is an archipelago that is made up of the main Puerto Rico Island and other smaller islands such as Vieques, Culebra and Mona. Its capital city is San Juan and it is also the most populated city in the country.
Puerto Rico has a population of about 3.4 million people. The citizens often refer to the island as Borinquen. The name is derived from the word Birokèn, the local Taíno name which means ‘Land of the Valiant Lord.’ In Spanish, the island is known as la isla del encanto which translated to ‘the island of enchantment.’
Abolition Park in Ponce, Puerto Rico, SourceThe history of Puerto Rico started with the settlement of the island by the Ortoiroid people between 3,000 and 2,000 BC. These people were believed to originate from the Orinoco valley in South America, moving to the Antilles from Trinidad and Tobago to Puerto Rico. Other tribes, for instance, the Arawak and Saladoid Indians, inhabited the island between 430 BC and 1000 AD. When Christopher Columbus arrived on the island, the main aboriginal culture was that of the Taíno people. These historical events and eras will be discussed briefly below.
Pre-colonial Puerto Rico
As mentioned earlier, Puerto Rico was first occupied by the Ortoiroid people and their settlement has been suggested to date 4000 years back.
An archaeological dig in Vieques Island in 1990 found the remains of what is perceived to be an Ortoiroid man and it was dated to 2000 BC. Between 430 BC and 250 BC, the Ortioriods were displaced by the Saladoid people. These were a pre-Columbian aboriginal society of the region in present-day Caribbean and Venezuela and were centralized along the Orinoco River, and they moved by sea to the Lesser Antilles, and finally to Puerto Rico.
The Arawak people settled on the island between the 7th and 11th centuries. During this period, the Taíno culture continued to grow and by 1000 AD it became the prevailing culture. When Christopher Columbus arrived on the island, there were about 30,000 to 60,000 Taíno Amerindians and they were governed by the cacique Agüeybaná. They called the island Boriken which means ‘the great land of the Valiant and noble Lord’ and lived in tiny villages, each governed by a cacique (Chief). They survived by fishing and hunting which was done by men and also gathering of fruits and cassava which was done by the women.
The Spaniards arrived in 1943, and by this time the Taíno people were already at war with the Carib who were migrating to the Antilles. Their domination of the island was coming to an end and the arrival of the Spaniards marked the start of their extinction. Their culture is, however, still a part of contemporary Puerto Rico. Musical instruments such as guiro and maracas, the hammock, and words such as huracán, Mayagüez, iguna, arecido, and Caguas are examples of the legacy left behind by the Taíno people.
Spanish Rule (1493-1898)
San Cristobal Fortelezza, San Juan Antiguo, Puerto Rico, SourceChristopher Columbus set sail on his second voyage to the island on September 23, 1493, with 17 ships and about 1,500 men from Cádiz. He landed on the island on November 19, 1493, and named it San Juan Bautista to honour Saint John the Baptist. He had brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand that was given authority by a papal bull to take any necessary action so as to expand the Christian faith and the Spanish Empire.
The first settlement was developed in Caparra on August 8, 1508, by Juan Ponce de León. He was a lieutenant under Columbus and later on served as the first governor of Puerto Rico.
It was in the 16th century when Spain started colonizing the island. The locals were forced into an encomienda structure of forced labour. This population sustained very high fatalities from outbreaks of European contagious diseases. The Roman Catholic Church also realized the opportunity to extend its influence thus participating in colonizing the island. Due to the dwindling number of the locals, Spain brought African slaves to the island to provide labour in the cities and coastal ports.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain focused its colonial endeavours in the south, north, and central policies since they were more prosperous. With the arrival of the Bourbon Dynasty in Spain in the 1700s, the island started a slow move towards imperial attention. More roads started linking earlier segregated inland villages to coastal towns, and coastal towns like Ponce, Mayaguez, and Arecibo started gaining their own importance.
Towards the end of the 18th century, trade ships from different countries posed a threat to the tight guidelines of the Mercantilist system. This system turned every colony towards the European metro pole and restricted contact with other countries. So as to safeguard its political hold with the island, the Supreme Central Junta located in Cádiz, acknowledged Puerto Rico as an abroad province of Spain.
The 19th century was marked by a struggle for independence by the Puerto Ricans. The rebellion was led by Dr Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis. This uprising was very important but it was controlled very fast by the Spaniards. More uprisings erupted and it was not until 25th November 1897 that the then Prime Minister of Spain, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, granted Puerto Rico an independent government, and opened up trade with European colonies and the Unites States. A governor was elected by Spain and he had the power to veto any decision he was not in agreement with.
There was also an elected parliament. The island held its first ever elections is March 1898 and on July 17, the same year the island’s autonomous government began its operations but not for long.
American Era (1898-Present)
First Supreme Court of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico came under United States military control after ratifying the Treaty of Paris of 1898. The treaty brought a number of changes in the island. The name was changed to Porto Rico, though it was changed again to Puerto Rico in 1932. The island’s currency was also converted from the Puerto Rican Peso to the United States dollar. Freedom of religion, assembly, press and speech were decreed and an eight-hour day for people working in the government was developed. A public school structure was introduced and the U.S Postal Service was expanded to the island. Bridges over important rivers were built and the highway system enlarged. The military government also established a centralized public health service for the locals.
The military government led to the conception of new political groups that were in support of annexation by the U.S as a resolution to the colonial situation. This government was, however, short-lived. It was dissolved on April 2, 1900, via the Foraker Act which formed a civil government and free trade between the U.S and the island. This act also led to the conception of a judicial system that was guided by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. The Department of Education was created and teaching was carried out in English, with Spanish being covered as a special language. The program by the U.S included constructing modern economic infrastructure that was inclusive of telegraphs and telephones, electric power systems, ports, roads, hospitals and agricultural programs.
After World War II economical, social and political changes started taking place and they have continued to shape Puerto Rico’s character today. On November 2, 1948, an act permitting the Puerto Ricans to select their own governor was passed by the U.
S. Congress. The Public Act 600 allowing the locals to draft their own constitution which would create the island’s internal government structures was signed on July 4, 1950. The Act also changed the island’s name to the “Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.” In February 1952, Puerto Rico’s constitution was approved in a referendum by voters, was approved by a federal law and ratified in November of the same year. The same year marked the first time Puerto Rico’s flag could be displayed in public after it had been criminalized in 1948.
The first plebiscite on the political status of the island was held on July 23, 1967, and most voters voted for the continuation of the Commonwealth status. Other plebiscites were held in 1993 and 1998 to determine Puerto Rico’s political status and both times the status quo remained. In 2012, most of the locals voted to reject the present status and voted to become a nation. The referendum was, however, controversial since the opponents attempted to convince the locals to refrain from voting.
There were of the argument that the vote was invalid.
Currently, Puerto Rico is still struggling to determine its political status. The island may have been given the right to write its own constitution, which was approved in 1952, but it is still an un-integrated organized region of the United States. Its indefinite status still sparks political debates that dominate in the Puerto Rican society.
A Brief History of Puerto Rico
Table of Contents
Puerto Rico, formally known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, formerly known as Porto Rico and often referred to as it, is the largest island region of the United States of America and is located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea.
This is an archipelago that consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and other smaller islands such as Vieques, Culebra and Mona. Its capital is San Juan and it is also the most populous city in the country. The population of Puerto Rico is about 3.4 million people. Citizens often refer to the island as Borinken.
The name comes from the word Birokèn, the local name for Taíno, which means “Land of the Valiant Lord”. In Spanish, the island is known as la isla del encanto, which means “Island of Enchantment”.
Ponce Abolition Park, Puerto Rico, source. The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the island by orthodroids between 3000 and 2000 BC. BC. It was believed that these people originated from the Orinoco Valley in South America and moved to the Antilles from Trinidad and Tobago in Puerto Rico. Other tribes, such as the Arawak and Saladoid Indians, inhabited the island between 430 B.C. and 1000 AD When Christopher Columbus arrived on the island, the main culture of the natives was the culture of the Tains. These historical events and eras will be briefly discussed below.
Pre-colonial Puerto Rico
As mentioned earlier, Puerto Rico was first occupied by the Ortoiroid people and their settlement has been proposed to be dated 4000 years ago. Archaeological excavations on the island of Vieques in 1990 unearthed the remains of a man thought to be an Orthoid and date back to 2000 BC.
Between 430 BC and 250 BC, the Orthioroids were displaced by the Saladoid people. It was a pre-Columbian society of the region’s aborigines in present-day Caribbean and Venezuela, centralized along the Orinoco River, and they moved by sea to the Lesser Antilles and finally to Puerto Rico.
The Arawaks settled on the island between the 7th and 11th centuries. During this period, the Taíno culture continued to grow and by 1000 AD it became the predominant culture. When Christopher Columbus arrived on the island, there were between 30,000 and 60,000 Taino Indians, and they were ruled by the cacique of Agueibana. They named the island Boriken, meaning “great land of the valiant and noble lord”, and lived in tiny villages, each ruled by a cacique (chief). They survived by fishing and hunting by the men, and by fruit and cassava gathering by the women.
The Spaniards arrived in 1943, by which time the people were already secretly at war with the Caribs who had migrated to the Antilles.
Their reign on the island was coming to an end, and the arrival of the Spaniards marked the beginning of their disappearance. Their culture, however, is still part of modern Puerto Rico. Musical instruments such as the guiro and maracas, the hammock, and words such as huracán, Mayagüez, iguna, arecido and caguas are examples of the heritage left behind by the Taino people.
Spanish rule (1493-1898)
San Cristobal Fortelezza, San Juan Antiguo, Puerto Rico, SourceChristopher Columbus set out on their second voyage to the island on 23 September 1493 with 17 ships and about 1500 men from Cadiz. He landed on the island on November 19, 1493 and named it San Juan Bautista in honor of Saint John the Baptist. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand, who was empowered by the papal bull to take any necessary measures to expand the Christian faith and the Spanish Empire. The first settlement was developed in Caparra on August 8, 1508 by Juan Ponce de León. He was a lieutenant under Columbus and later served as the first governor of Puerto Rico.
It was in the 16th century when Spain began to colonize the island. Local residents were forced to enter into a structure of forced labor. This population has caused very high mortality from outbreaks of European infectious diseases. The Roman Catholic Church also recognized the opportunity to expand its influence by participating in the colonization of the island. Due to the dwindling local population, Spain brought African slaves to the island to provide labor in the cities and coastal ports.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Spain focused its colonial efforts on the south, north and central politics as they were more prosperous. With the arrival of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain in the 1700s, the island began a slow movement towards imperial attention. More roads began to link previously divided inland villages to coastal towns, and coastal towns such as Ponce, Mayagüez, and Arecibo began to take on their own importance.
By the end of the 18th century, merchant ships from different countries were a threat to the strict principles of the mercantilist system.
This system turned each colony towards the European metro pole and limited contact with other countries. To protect its political power on the island, the Supreme Central Junta based in Cadiz recognized Puerto Rico as a province of Spain overseas.
The 19th century was marked by the struggle for independence by the Puerto Ricans. The uprising was led by Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betans and Segundo Ruiz Belvis. This uprising was very important, but it was very quickly controlled by the Spaniards. New rebellions arose, and it was not until November 25, 1897 that the then Spanish Prime Minister Praxedes Mateo Sagasta granted Puerto Rico an independent government and opened trade with the European colonies and the United States.
The Governor was elected by Spain and he had the right to veto any decision with which he did not agree. There was also an elected parliament. The island held its first-ever elections in March 1898 years, and on July 17 of the same year, the autonomous government of the island began its work, but not for long.
American Era (1898-Present)
Puerto Rico’s First Supreme Court Puerto Rico came under US military control after the 1898 Treaty of Paris was ratified. The treaty made a number of changes to the island. The name was changed to Porto Rico, although it was changed back to Puerto Rico in 1932. The island’s currency was also converted from the Puerto Rican peso to the US dollar. Freedom of religion, assembly, press, and speech was proclaimed, and an eight-hour day was designed for people working in government. A public school structure was introduced and the US Postal Service was expanded to an island. Bridges were built over important rivers and the highway system was enlarged. The military government also set up a centralized healthcare system for the locals.
The military government led to the concept of new political groupings that supported US annexation as a solution to the colonial situation. This government was, however, short-lived. It was dissolved on April 2, 1900 under the Fraud Act, which established a civilian government and free trade between the US and the island.
This act also led to the concept of a judiciary run by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. A Department of Education has been established and teaching is in English, with Spanish being treated as a special language.
The US program included the construction of modern economic infrastructure, which included telegraph and telephone systems, electrical systems, ports, roads, hospitals, and agricultural programs.
After World War II, economic, social and political changes began that continue to shape the character of Puerto Rico today. On November 2, 1948, the US Congress passed a law allowing Puerto Ricans to choose their own governor. Public Law 600, allowing local residents to develop their own constitution, which will create the internal government structures of the island, was signed on July 4, 1950 years.
The Act also changed the island’s name to “Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”. In February 1952, the Puerto Rico Constitution was approved in a referendum by voters, was approved by federal law, and ratified in November of that year.
That same year, for the first time, the flag was put on public display in Puerto Rico after it was criminalized in 1948.
The first plebiscite on the political status of the island took place on July 23, 1967, and the majority of voters voted in favor of maintaining Commonwealth status. Other plebiscites were held in 1993 and 1998 to determine the political status of Puerto Rico, and both times the status quo was maintained. In 2012, a majority of the locals voted to renounce their current status and voted to become a nation. However, the referendum was controversial as opponents tried to persuade local residents to abstain from voting. There were arguments that the vote was invalid.
Currently, Puerto Rico is still trying to determine its political status. The island may have received the right to write its own constitution, which was approved in 1952, but it is still a non-integrated organized region of the United States. Its uncertain status still fuels the political debate that dominates Puerto Rican society.
State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, its brief history, flags, emblems and currencies
history
flags
coats of arms
currencies
| state symbols |
| Brief history: | Since 07/25/1952 – “state freely acceded to the USA” |
|---|---|
| Location: | on the islands of Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, Mona (Great Antilles archipelago) |
| Type: | President |
| Head of state: | English Spanish (Castilian) |
| Languages: | Catholicism (85% of the population) |
| Main religion: | Territory |
| Form of government: | November 19, 1493 – Christopher Columbus discovered the island and declared it a possession of Spain (colony). |