The Historical Significance of Puerto Rico

1776 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Puerto Rican migration to the USA

The Historical Significance of Puerto Rico For most of its history, Puerto Rico has been controlled by an outside power, and its people oppressed. While Puerto Rico is currently a U.S. territory, Spanish colonialism has had a significant impact on the island’s development and identity. The history of the island itself is proof of this fact, demonstrating each step Puerto Rico took to reach its current state. By examining the stages of Spanish control that Puerto Rico experienced, we can determine how each stage affected the structure and identity of Puerto Rico. Before Spain invaded Puerto Rico, the native population known as the Taino inhabited it. At the beginning of the 1500’s, the Taino were conquered by the Spanish and, after a series of revolution attempts, virtually disappeared from Puerto Rican life. Those that were left fled to the interior of the island, which was, at that time, uninhabited. This part of the island became a refuge for the people who had fled from the approaching Spanish conquerors. This was the first stage in Puerto Rico’s development. Spain was the most dominant oppressor of Puerto Rico, and its occupation of the island resulted in many social and economic changes. The native people were marginalized, and Spain took over Puerto Rico in order to turn it into a productive colony. In addition to this, the presence of the Spaniards in Puerto Rico added a different ethnic group to the island’s native population. When the official slave trade began in 1518, African slaves were added to Puerto Rico’s mixed ethnic heritage. (Figueroa 9/22) According to "A Bicentennial Without a Puerto Rican Colony", Unlike the United States, in Puerto Rico the different races mixed and intermingled to create the moder... ... middle of paper ... ...ed Bergad, Laird. "The Coffee Boom, 1885-1897," from: Bergad, Coffee and Agrarian Capitalism in Nineteenth-Century Puerto Rico (Princeton: Princeton U Press, 1983), 145-203 Cruz, Jose. "Puerto Rican Independence-then and now". http://www.hartford-hwp.com/cp-usa/archives/95-09-23-2.html Scarano, Francisco, "Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview," from Scarano, Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: The Plantation Economy of Ponce, 1800-1850 (Madison: U of Wisconsin Press, 1984), 3-34 Thomas, Piri. "A Bicentennial Without a Puerto Rican Colony". http://www.cheverote.com/texts/bicentennial.html Valle Antiles, Francisco del, "The Spiritual Life of the Jibaro, " from: Iris M. Zavala and Rafael Rodrigues (eds.) The Intellectual Roots of Independence, An Anthology of Puerto Rican Political Essays (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1980), 95-103

Show More
Related

  • Should Puerto Rico Become America´s 51st State?

    2522 Words  | 6 Pages

    II. Body a. Should Puerto Rico become a state? i. How would it benefit the government? ii. The.

    Read More

  • Puerto Rican Identity and Spanish Colonial Rule

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    del Valle Atiles, Francisco. "The Spiritual Life of the Jibaro" form :Iris M. Zavala and Rafael Rodriguez (eds.), The Intellectual Roots of Independence: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Political Essays (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1980), 95-103.

    Read More

  • test I

    1446 Words  | 3 Pages

    Section I,2. Analyze the consequences of American rule in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. Did the citizens prosper? Enjoy freedom? Accept American rule? Comment on the consequences for the United States with regard to the statement made by Eric Foner in the text, “Thus, two principles central to American freedom since the War of Independence – no taxation without representation and government based on the consent of the governed – were abandoned when it came to the nation’s new possessions.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of the Statehood for Puerto Rico

    1814 Words  | 4 Pages

    The intention of this essay is to demonstrate to a vision rational, concordant political leader to the Puerto Rican, American and worldwide reality. It responds to the necessity that to the statehood it is necessary to imagine it and to expose it with all the evidence available, since many Puerto Ricans, including many political leaders, do not know like defending it or exposing it before the peculiar ones or our adversaries.

    Read More

  • The Different Experience of Puerto Ricans' Migration to the United States

    1840 Words  | 4 Pages

    While Vega discusses the early emigration of Puerto Ricans to New York City, Cruz discusses the later emigration of Puerto Ricans to Connecticut. Each author describes a different Puerto Rican experience in the United States. The experiences differed in most aspects from the context in which each wave of emigration occurred to the type of politics that was practiced. After the Spanish American war of 1898, the United States took control of Puerto Rico. In the initial state of US ownership, the Puerto Rican population faced a major dilemma.

    Read More

  • History of Puerto Rico and Spanish Rule

    1545 Words  | 4 Pages

    The history of Puerto Rico under Spanish rule is one of European exploitation of non white peoples for the purpose of economic gain. The ‘discovery’ made by Columbus in 1492 had a great impact on the highly competitive countries in Europe who saw, in lands like Puerto Rico, the possibility of prosperity and advancement. More than hoping to spread their influence or religion, Europeans wanted to take advantage of the lands and resources which seemed unused. Actually the lands were being used quite successfully, but in unfamiliar ways which did not concern many Europeans. With little regard for the native people, Europe began conquering the eastern hemisphere in the name of colonization. Areas which had only known one race for centuries were flooded with people from all over the world seeking money and status. As the stakes grew, and select people and countries heavily prospered off their colonies, ethical and moral restraint declined. The result was a world filled with a diverse group of races, extreme distinctions in class differences, and mixing of culture. This was the case for Puerto Rico, which was just as much affected by colonialism as other areas, but has certain qualities which make the Puerto Rican identity unique.

    Read More

  • Hard Lives in South Bronx depicted in The Boy Without a Flag

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this story, the reader can see exactly how, many Puerto Ricans feel when living on other grounds. Throughout this time, the boy that Rodriguez presents us realizes he has his culture and that he wants to preserve it as much as he can. “Because I’m Puerto Rican”. I ain’t no American. And I’m not a Yankee flag-waver”

    Read More

  • Modern Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright

    1615 Words  | 4 Pages

    The deterioration of residential homes is common throughout the years due to wear and tear from everyday usage. The cost to prevent this deterioration is usually minimal and does not skyrocket into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for routine maintenance. In addition, the construction of residential homes has improved throughout the years; hence, not as many repairs are required over time. Engineers have developed better concepts of how homes will stand up against the elements and big box stores encourage the homeowners to repair and do their own maintenance on their standard house. However, there are residential homes that are nonconforming and their architectural designs are of those who have brought these homes into the forefront of Modern Architecture. One who is most noteworthy and is synonymous with residential homes is Frank Lloyd Wright. Known for his unique style of residential design, Frank Lloyd Wright was ahead of his time, however, the materials he used in these designs have proven to be unsustainable and cost hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars to homeowners for their preservation.

    Read More

  • Harriet Tubman Bibliography

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harriet Tubman was born in the year 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her parents were Harriet Green and Ben Ross. She is known by the name Harriet Tubman, but her real name was Araminta Ross. She had ten brothers and sisters who helped her with her work. Her family's nickname for her, as said by Elish, was “Minta” (9). She was born into a slave family which meant one thing: she was going to have a difficult life. She was abused and beaten by hard-hearted white people even when she was little. Her most difficult injury to overcome happened when she was only thirteen. A slave started to escape, so her master picked up a brick and threw it at him. Harriet stepped in front of the brick, trying to give the slave a chance to escape, and, in doing so, was hit in the head, knocking her out. Because of this injury, she had seizures and extremely painful headaches her entire life. When she was old enough, she was rented out to the Cook family. They disregarded her as a person or as an equal, making her sleep and share food with the dogs. The Cooks did not have enough money to keep her, so they gave her back. She was then rented to a woman named Miss Susan, who beat her mercilessly with a whip over the tiniest mistake. When she got the chance, she ran away from her, but ended up almost starving. She was returned to the plantation and started to work in the fields, gathering strength. Her father, hearing about her almost ...

    Read More

  • Harriet Tubman Biography

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harriet Tubman is a lady of belief and dignity, who saved a great number of African American males and females through her determination and love for God. People might think that what would motivate anyone to take all that pain and misery to one’s self in order to help other people. Harriet Tubman was an African American lady that took upon several roles throughout her lifetime just like a protester, philanthropist, and a Union Spy in the time of the American civil war. Her actions, not just saved many lives during these horrible time’s but at the same time gave other African Americans the confidence and courage to get up for what they have faith in and accomplish same human rights for males and females in all over the world, regardless of what their skin color or sex was.

    Read More

  • The Racial Struggles of Puerto Ricans

    1729 Words  | 4 Pages

    Through the Spanish colonial era briefly describe above, it is evident that Puerto Rican society was a very culturally diverse island. Despite this there has always been heavy emphasis placed on the whiteness of the society by the white elite that dominate the island. José Luis González wrote a controversial article titled Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country in which he expressed his view that Puerto Rican society was not predominately white but rather black because of the thousand of slaves that were taken to the island to work on Sugar plantations. Gonz...

    Read More

  • Harriet Tubman Hero

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harriet Tubman was a runaway slave from Maryland who became known as the "Moses of her people”. Harriet Tubman is widely known for developing the Underground Railroad which was used to get slaves North and Canada to freedom. She later became a leader in the abolitionist movement, and during the Civil War she was a spy with for the federal forces in South Carolina as well as a nurse (Tubman 1). With her countless contributions to the African American people at this time, Harriet Tubman single handedly altered hundreds of lives by doing what she believed was necessary.

    Read More

  • Essay On Harriet Tubman

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...was elected president, when he expressed his views on slavery. Tubman served as a nurse and a cook at Fort Monroe in 1961, helping children. In 1963, a proclamation that colored people could enter the army, Tubman enlisted as a leader of 150 army soldiers. She led them to the slaves and freed 750 slaves, making a huge accomplishment in African American successes. Frederick Douglass stood up to the opposition of the people for slavery.

    Read More

  • Short Essay On Harriet Tubman

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tubman grew up in a large, Christian family in the Antebellum south, under a very oppressive master. Between working long hours without rest or pay, and often being maltreated by her masters, Harriet developed sustained injuries that would follow her for the rest of her days. As Harriet began to grow older, her siblings were being sold off into slavery, and every day she lived in fear that she too would be ripped from her family to be taken to another master for only a few dollars. One feverish, August day, their master came to the ‘slave quarters’ to try to sell their son Moses, but Tubman’s mother, who was also named Harriet, threatened to kill the first man to touch her son. It is believed that this is where Tubman attained her rebellious soul. Nevertheless, the Tubman family was in constant fear of their family being torn apart, but through it all they kept their faith close and each other closer. After Harriet sustained a life changing injury, now known as temporal lobe epilepsy as a result of her owner throwing a rock at her head, her value as a slave went down and the beatings intensified. Tubman realized this wasn't an acceptable life style, she decided she needed a change. At the young age of 29, in the midst of the night, Harriet packed her few belongings and ran away, running by night all the way to Philadelphia,

    Read More

  • Life is But a Floating Bridge

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author structures the short story according to several shifts to portray the uncertainty we inevitably experience daily. Jinny, the main character, suffers from cancer. She manages to come to terms with this news, but now she has to experience another shift. Through a three-part flashback narrative technique, the author introduces to readers late in the story what the latest news is regarding her health. Jinny remembers that the doctor said, “I do not mean the battle is over, just that this is a favorable sign…we do not know that there may not be more trouble in the future but we can say we are cautiously optimistic” (76). Jinny remembers this crucial shift during a casual conversation. While the readers would expect this shift towards a positive side to bring her joy, Jinny in fact reacts negatively, fact shown by her inner reflection: “It was too much. What he had said made everything harder. It made her have to go back and start this year all over again” (77). Jinny had finally grown used to knowing that she could die soon due to cancer, and now she had to deal with the probability that she would survive.

    Read More

More about The Historical Significance of Puerto Rico

Open Document