Puerto Rican Independence

The History of Puerto Rico

El Morro Fort At Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

The Spanish Conquest

                                     Christopher Columbus bumped into Puerto Rico on his second voyage to
                                     the new world. He sailed along the Caribbean Sea on the islands southern
                                     coast and went ashore on November 19, 1493 somewhere on the western
                                     shore. He and his men rested for a few days to supply themselves with
                                     fresh drinking water, fruit and fish. The island was named San Juan
                                     Bautista (St. John the Baptist). After this brief stay, Columbus sailed the
                                     Mona Passage west in search of other lands. The island was left unvisited
                                     by the Europeans for 15 years.

                                     On August 12, 1508 Juan Ponce de Leon, a soldier who had traveled with
                                     Columbus in 1493, invaded Puerto Rico with a small army of soldiers and
                                     became Puerto Rico's first governor. The first town established was
                                     Caparra, located near the south shore of what is today the San Juan Bay.
                                     The Taino aborigines (about 30,000) who lived on the island, lived in small
                                     tribes. They were not physically prepared to resist the Spaniards goal to
                                     conquer the island. Their primitive weapons were no match for the Spanish
                                     swords and powerful fire arms. The Tainos were turned into slaves and
                                     used to do mining work.

                                     Soon, organized by the great and most important Taino leader,
                                     Agueybana, the Tainos rebelled and began to launch bloody raids against
                                     the isolated Spanish settlements. Unfortunately when the aborigines had
                                     their direct confrontation with Ponce de Leon's forces, Agueybana was
                                     shot dead. Some Tainos fled deep into the island's mountains and forest,
                                     others canoed to nearby islands. After this the Taino resistance was limited
                                     to very few attacks. Many of the enslaved Tainos killed their young ones
                                     and committed suicide. The lack of slave labor prompted Ponce de Leon
                                     to go after the Tainos on land and sea.

                                     By 1514 there were less than 4,000 Tainos left. Agriculture was beginning
                                     to take a bigger role in the islands economy and African slaves were
                                     introduced. In 1519 the smallpox epidemic (said to be brought to the
                                     island from Africa) killed many Spaniards and Tainos.
                                     Ponce de Leon set eyes on Florida (North America) on one of his
                                     exploratory voyages from Caparra. In 1521, while in Florida, Ponce de
                                     Leon was wounded by an Aborigine's arrow and died of gangrene at the
                                     age of 47. Ponce de Leon's remains rest beneath a marble slab in the San
                                     Juan Cathedral, in Old San Juan.

                                     The Caparra settlement was then moved across the bay to a more breezy
                                     site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, what is today known as Old San
                                     Juan. The coming years were also filled with attacks by the feared Caribe
                                     aborigines who were known to be cannibals. They not only attacked the
                                     far shore of San Juan but also the village of San German, in the southwest
                                     part of the island.

                                     In time, as mining resources became more scarce, cultivating sugar cane
                                     became the most important economical activity. The climate was ideal and
                                     African slaves labor was cheap. By now the Spanish had built a rich
                                     empire in the new world. Convoys of ships loaded with silver, pearls, and
                                     all kinds of treasures from the new world sailed the Caribbean Sea and
                                     were often attacked by French, English and Dutch pirates. To avoid that
                                     enemies take the island of Puerto Rico and use it as a base from which to
                                     attack the treasure fleets, Spain authorized the fortification of San Juan.
                                     The construction of El Morro de San Felipe Castle began in 1539. Other
                                     small forts were also built.

                                     In 1595 El Morro was attacked by Sir Francis Drake and his fleet.
                                     Fortunately for the Spaniards El Morro proved itself worthy for battle and
                                     the enemy was repelled. George Clifford, the count of Cumberland along
                                     side his large fleet took the city but they couldn't take El Morro. After
                                     suffering of exhaustion in the sun they were forced to leave. The Dutch also
                                     attacked Puerto Rico twenty seven years later under General Boudewin
                                     Hendricksz. They sieged San Juan and burnt down a great part of the city.
                                     Not being able to take El Morro, they also left. Finally the city was
                                     completely encircled with a 50 foot wall and the San Cristobal castle was
                                     constructed to protect the eastern part of the city. Part of the wall was
                                     demolished later on in the twentieth century.

                                     Today the cobble stones streets, interior patios, hanging balconies, plazas,
                                     and chapels make of this historic city a charming and picturesque place to
                                     visit.

learn more at
www.solboricua.com/history.htm

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