History
of Puerto Rico
The Spanish Conquest
The Spanish Colony | USA Seizes Puerto
Rico
The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico
Modern
Day
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.
The Spanish Conquest
The Spanish Colony | USA Seizes Puerto
Rico
The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico
Modern
Day
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