Puerto Rico Is Discovered by Europeans
The discovery of Puerto Rico by Europeans marks a significant moment in the island's history, occurring on November 19, 1493, when Christopher Columbus landed on its shores during his second voyage to the Americas. Initially named San Juan Bautista, the island became a Spanish territory after Columbus claimed it for Spain. The first Spanish settlement, Caparra, was established in 1508 under explorer Ponce de León, but it was later abandoned in favor of a new city, Puerto Rico, which eventually swapped names with its capital, San Juan. Over the following centuries, Puerto Rico remained under Spanish rule, with severe impacts on the native population due to violence and enslavement, leading to the importation of African slaves to work on plantations. It wasn't until the late 19th century that significant changes began, with the abolition of slavery in 1873 and increased autonomy for Puerto Ricans. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States, where it became a commonwealth in 1952, granting its residents U.S. citizenship but limiting their political representation. Today, Puerto Rico's status continues to be a topic of discussion, with debates over its future relationship with the United States, including options for statehood or independence.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Puerto Rico Is Discovered by Europeans
Puerto Rico Is Discovered by Europeans
The island of Puerto Rico, now a part of the United States, was discovered by Europeans on November 19, 1493, by the explorer Christopher Columbus.
Puerto Rico is a large island in the Caribbean. Today it has about 4 million inhabitants, nearly 99 percent of whom are of Spanish ancestry. The capital and largest city is San Juan, which has a population of over 400,000 people. After Columbus landed and claimed the island for Spain, he briefly explored it and named it San Juan Bautista, or St. John the Baptist. The Spanish established their first settlement on the island, called Caparra, in 1508 under the direction of another famous explorer, Ponce de León. This city was abandoned in 1521 and a new city was built nearby, called Puerto Rico (rich port). Sometime afterward the names of the island and the city were reversed, and so the island became known as Puerto Rico and the city became San Juan.
Spain ruled Puerto Rico for four centuries, despite several attempts by other European powers to wrest it away, the most famous of which was led by England's Sir Francis Drake in 1595. The native tribal population was either killed or enslaved to work on the plantations, and when they died off black slaves were brought from Africa to replace them. Spanish rule was harsh, and only in the early 19th century was Puerto Rico permitted to trade with countries other than Spain and given any voice in the colonial government. Slavery was finally abolished in 1873 and the Puerto Ricans were granted autonomy in 1897. However, shortly thereafter the island was transferred to the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris of 1898, which ended the Spanish-American War with Spain's concession of defeat.
The United States established a civil government for Puerto Rico in 1900. In 1917 the Jones Act granted Puerto Ricans American citizenship, and the island's constitution of 1952 made Puerto Rico a self-governing commonwealth voluntarily associated with the United States. Puerto Ricans retained their United States citizenship, granted by the Jones Act, and were exempted from federal taxes. However, they were not permitted to vote in presidential elections and were not given any representation in the U.S. Congress. Instead, under the 1952 constitution Puerto Ricans were empowered to elect a governor and a legislature, composed of a senate and a house of representatives, by direct vote for four-year terms. Finally, they were given the right to elect a resident commissioner who would be sent, albeit with no vote, to Congress. Puerto Rico's commonwealth relationship with the United States can be changed by mutual consent but, as of the writing of this book in the early 21st century, neither side has chosen to do so, despite discussion of changes ranging from statehood for the island to total independence.