The taino peoples numbers went dangerously low during the later half of the 16th century because of new. Other tribes, such as the saladoid and arawak native puerto ricans, populated the island between 430 bc and ad. Early nineteenth century colonial reforms had promoted the growth of the sugar industry and african slavery. A history of food, culture, and identityfits within an emerging genre that might be called ecological humanism. From the spanish discovery to the american occupation illustrated.
Christopher columbus reached the island and claimed it for spain on november 19, 1493. The spaniards enslaved the tainos who were the native inhabitants of the island and many of them died as a result of the cruel treatment that they had received. The module includes links to handson activities and a list of recommended readings. From the spanish discovery to the american occupation illustrated kindle edition by van middeldyk, rudolph adams. Puerto ricos complicated history with the united states. This book covers research on topics such as the islands indian culture, the nationalist movement, and the class structures, synthesized by puerto rico s leading historian. T o this day, pue rto rico remains a territory of the united states, and. Puerto rico is a beautiful country with rich cultural diversity. Ourstory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of. And how the role of a more personal experienced social class in puerto rico today can speak to a larger discussion of identity. At this website, youll find free lesson plans and activities about the history, geography, and culture of puerto rico. Reading comprehensions with references to puerto rico this section lists reading comprehensions on with references to puerto rico.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The history of puerto rico began with the settlement of the archipelago of puerto rico by the ortoiroid people between 3,000 and 2,000 bc. Puerto rico is a large caribbean island of roughly 3,500 square miles located in the west indies. For treatment of the island in its regional context, see latin america, history of, and west indies, history of. In this ourstory module from the smithsonians national museum of american history entitled a puerto rican carnival, students will learn more about the carnival traditions of puerto rico. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Puerto rico s vibrancy derives from more than 500 years of rich history and the subsequent blending of different cultures a fusion that extends to almost every aspect of the islands identity. The puerto rican political economy james dietz latin. Puerto rico has been described as a melting pot of cultures due to the influence of different cultures like spanish, taino indians, and africa.
Puerto rico was one of the first islands discovered in the new world by genoese captain, christopher columbus in 1493. It became known as puerto rico after 1521, when the city of san juan had been founded and given the islands original name. Its known for its charismatic beauty and pleasing climate. At the time of christopher columbuss arrival in the new world in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the tainos. Its truly unfortunate and as a puerto rican i am disspointed. On april 2, the foraker law, officially the organic act of 1900, is approved, establishing civil government and free commerce between the island and united states. Puerto rico became a commonwealth on july 25, 1952. In contrast to most other regions that depended on slave labor in centuries past, the growth of the plantation economy and, thus, the demand for slaves developed rather late in puerto rico. After centuries of spanish rule, puerto rico became a territory.
Puerto rico is largely composed of mountainous and hilly terrain, with nearly onefourth of the island covered by steep slopes. Arawak indians, who developed the taino culture, had also settled there by ce. For more information about the history of the censuses in the island areas and u. Puerto rico was one of spains two remaining colonies in the americas until 1898 the other was cuba, when it became an overseas possession of the united states as a. Origins of the puerto rico fiscal crisis mercatus center. Historical survey puerto rico s history has bequeathed the island political institutions that are unable to balance revenues and expenditures, along with an economy. War against all puerto ricans tells an undiscovered story.
The island was surrendered to the united states military authority. Finally, a bibliography at the end of the activity book gives suggestions for books about puerto rico you can read and share with children. In 1950, president truman sighed the puerto rico commonwealth bill, which enabled the island people to establish their own constitution. History through childrens literature is an ongoing series of family. Puerto rico was a spanish colony until 1898, when the island was ceded to the united states after the spanishamerican war. Traces puerto rico s history from its geological formation. The encyclopedia of puerto rico is a product provided free of charge by the puerto rican endowment for the humanities. The history of puerto rico, from the spanish discovery to. The history of puerto rico, from the spanish discovery to the american occupation, summary van middledyks work was the first major historical study of puerto rico in english. A data appendix provides annual puerto rico debt totals from 1910 to 2015 gathered from commonwealth annual reports and other historical sources. From the interweaving of the taino, african, and spanish traditions emerged the puerto rican, a new identity composed of traits from all three groups. The club bears the name of a puerto rican general who fought in the wars for cuban independence from spain. The mountains are the easternmost extension of a tightly folded and faulted ridge that extends from the central american mainland across the northern caribbean to the lesser antilles.
Katherine bowman blpr 243 2 introduction slavery on the island of puerto rico has a unique history. Relatively poor in resources, especially coveted gold, puerto rico served primarily as a. The fph is a private, notforprofit organization, which depends totally on donations from individuals and institutions to maintain and improve this product. The first inhabitants of puerto rico were huntergatherers who reached the island more than 1,000 years before the arrival of the spanish. Fire is an important disturbance that influences species. Ancient origins articles related to puerto rico in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. A librarian at the free public library of san juan, van middledyk possessed knowledge of and access to considerable primary source material. Although san juan had been bombarded for a time by american warships, the city suffered relatively little damage during the conflict. I stress that the aim of this thesis is not an effort to offer an explanation for why puerto rico still is a colony1 or whether it should. Its the easternmost island of the greater antilles chain, which also includes cuba, jamaica and hispaniola divided into haiti and the dominican republic. Colonial history from the late fifteenth century until 1898, puerto rico formerly borinquen was a colony of the spanish empire. In this puerto rico lesson, students find puerto rico on a map and find specific regions or cities. Students research the history of puerto rico, its culture, and geography. Students discuss puerto rico s statehood and listen to salsa.
The book traces the life of pedro albizu campos and the puerto rican independence movement, which continues on the island to this day. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the history of puerto rico. These may or may not actually be related to puerto rico. Puerto rican culture a melting pot of influential lifestyles. By mid century, coffee cultivation in the highlands had become increasingly important to the colonial economy. Puerto rico was ceded to the americans under the terms of the treaty of paris, which ended the spanishamerican war.
The law was introduced into congress by senator joseph b. Now a word heritage site it is one of puerto rico s most iconic structures. Van middledyks work was the first major historical study of puerto rico in english. Hispanic local history and genealogy in the united states. Van middledyk advanced puerto rican historiography by building on the works of brau, coll y toste, and acosta, and by consulting early spanish chronicles. The story of the philippines and our new possessions, including the ladrones, hawaii, cuba and porto rico project gutemberg.
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