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Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, Education and Cultural Institutions

Puerto Rico greatly improved its educational institutions throughout the 20th century. By 2001, 97.6 percent of the adult population was literate, compared with some 67 percent in 1940. The governor of Puerto Rico appoints the secretary of education, who heads the Department of Education. The department oversees the public education system. Most of the schools in Puerto Rico are public and are modeled on the public schools in the continental United States. About 20 percent of schoolchildren attend private schools. The Roman Catholic Church runs a number of the private schools. Children must attend school from age 6 to 16. Most attend for 12 years (six years of elementary school, three of junior high, and three of senior high school).

The government has gradually spent more money on public elementary and secondary schools, but in 1995-1996 Puerto Rico spent only $3,771 per pupil, compared to an average of $6,146 per pupil in the mainland United States. In the late 1990s the commonwealth’s public schools annually enrolled about 452,000 elementary pupils and about 162,000 secondary students.

In 1998-1999 the commonwealth had 51 private and 14 public institutions of higher education with a combined enrollment of 164,000 students. The University of Puerto Rico System was founded in 1903. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Puerto Rico, with a number of branches including those in Arecibo, Bayamon, Cayey, Humacao, Mayaguez, Ponce, and San Juan. Besides the University of Puerto Rico, other institutions of higher education include Bayamon Central University in Bayamon; Inter American University of Puerto Rico, with major campuses in Hato Rey and San German; Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce; and the University of the Sacred Heart in Santurce.

Language has been a central issue in Puerto Rican education and culture since 1898. Until 1930, U.S. authorities insisted upon making English the language of instruction in the schools. They wanted students to speak English in order to expose them to American culture. However, Puerto Ricans strongly resisted the effort to impose English as the primary language in schools. The policy was changed in 1948, when Spanish replaced English in the school system. English became a second language, although students were required to study English at every school level. In 1993 Puerto Rico declared both Spanish and English the island’s official languages.

Puerto Rico has many libraries, including the Carnegie Public Library, the library of the Ateneo Puertorriqueno (a privately run Puerto Rican cultural organization), and the Volunteer Library League, all in San Juan. Several of the other larger cities and towns also have municipal libraries. Many universities have libraries as well.

Many of Puerto Rico’s major cultural institutions are in San Juan. These include the Puerto Rico Museum of Art, housing works from pre-Columbian times to the present; the Children’s Museum in Old San Juan; and the Museum of the Indian, featuring exhibits about the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean region. Of note, too, is the Ponce Art Museum, which has exhibits of paintings by European and Puerto Rican artists. In addition, metropolitan San Juan is the home of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, and ballet and dance companies. A popular cultural attraction is the Pablo Casals Museum in Old San Juan, which contains memorabilia from the life and career of renowned cellist Pablo Casals.




History 

XV
century		 Taíno [Glos.] Indians who inhabited the territory, called the island Boriken or Borinquen which means: "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord" or "land of the great lords". Today this word -used in various modifications- is still popularly used to designate the people and island of Puerto Rico. TheTaíno Indians, who came from South America, inhabited the major portion of the island when the Spaniards arrived. The Taíno Indians, lived in small villages, organized in clans and led by aCacique, or chief. They were a peaceful people who, with a limited knowledge of agriculture, lived on such domesticated tropical crops as pineapples, cassava, and sweet potatoes supplemented by seafood.
 
1492 On April 17, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain signed the agreement to finance and set the terms of Columbus's voyage to the Indies. The document is known as the Capitulations of Santa Fe. The agreement established that Columbus would become the viceroy and governor of all discovered land and rights to 10% of all assets brought to Spain, among other terms. 

On August 3, the fleet of three ships --the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María-- set forth from Palos, Spain. The first sighting of land came at dawn on October 12. They landed at San Salvador, in the Bahamas. Thinking he had reached the East Indies, Columbus referred to the native inhabitants of the island as "Indians," a term that was ultimately applied to all indigenous peoples of the New World.
 
1493 After the success of Columbus's first voyage, he had little trouble convincing Ferdinand and Isabela of Spain, to follow up immediately with a second voyage. Unlike the exploratory first voyage, the second voyage was a massive colonization effort. On September 25, Christopher Columbus set sail from Cádiz, Spain with 17 ships and almost 1,500 men. The second voyage brought European livestock (horses, sheep, and cattle) to America for the first time. 
 

Christopher Columbus
On November 19, Christopher Columbus discovered the island in his second voyage to the New World. He found the island populated by as many as 50,000 Taíno or Arawak Indians. The Taíno Indians who greeted Columbus made a big mistake when they showed him gold nuggets in the river and told him to take all he wanted. Originally the newcomers called the island San Juan Bautista, for St. John the Baptist and the town Puerto Rico because of its obvious excellent potentialities. It was not until later that the two names were switched. Thanks in part to the enthusiasm of ambitious Juan Ponce de León, [Glos.] a lieutenant to Columbus, the city of Puerto Rico ("rich port") quickly became Spain's most important military outpost in the Caribbean.
 
1501 The Spanish Crown permitted export of slaves to America.
 
1503 Governor Nicolás de Ovando opposes the importing of slaves. 

First slaves arrive in Hispañola.
 
1505 On March 25, Vicente Yañez Pinzón Captain was appointed "corregidor" of the island San Juan Bautista and governor of the fort that he was to construct therein.
 
1506 On May 20, Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain.
 
1508 Spanish colonization begins. King Ferdinand II of Aragon assigned Ponce de León to lead an official expedition to the island. 

On January 14, first school in Puerto Rico was established in Caparra. 

On August 8, Juan Ponce de León founded the Caparra Village near the bay on the north coast.
 

1509 The Spanish authorities refused to grant to Diego Columbus (Christopher's son) privileges to all discovered land, as a results, the Crown officially appointed Juan Ponce de León governor of the island. 

The first repartimiento in Puerto Rico was established, this system consisted of distributing among officials and colonists fixed numbers of Indians for wage-free and forced labor. 
The Spanish Crown instituted the encomienda after several priests protested against the treatment to Indians under the repartimiento system. The terms of the new agreement specified that Spaniards were obliged to pay the Indians for their labor and to teach them the Christian religion, but they soon reduced the Indians to a condition of abject slavery, claiming that the Indians were inferior and subhuman; therefore Indians were forced to work from dawn until dusk, under threat of corporal punishment and death. 
Juan Garrido is the first African identified in Puerto Rico. A free man, he arrived with the Ponce De León expedition. Garrido later participates in the colonization of Florida and serves with Spanish explorer Hernan Cortex in the conquest of Mexico.
 
1510 Differences between Spaniards and Taíno Indians began. 

The Cacique Urayoán ordered his warriors to drown Diego Salcedo to determine whether or not the Spaniards were immortal, as they believed that Spanish colonizers had divine powers. It is told that after they drowned Diego, they watched him for several days until they were sure that he was dead.
 
1511 The Taíno Indians' after learning through the drowning of Diego Salcedo, that the Spanish were mortal, revolted against Spaniards with no success. Ponce de León orders 6,000 shot; survivors flee to mountains or leave the island. 

Diego Columbus won rights to all land discovered by his father after presenting his case to the courts in Madrid. King Ferdinand ordered Ponce de Leon to be replaced as governor by Diego Columbus. Ponce de León not wishing to serve Diego, obtained title to explore the Upper Bahamas and areas to the North. 

On August 8, Pope Julius II created two dioceses in Puerto Rico, the bishop of which were all suffragans of the archbishopric of Seville. The Canon of Salamanca, Alonso Manso, was appointed bishop of the Puerto Rican diocese and took possession in 1513 - the first bishop to arrive in America. 

On November 11, the Spanish Crown granted a Coat of Arms to the Island of Puerto Rico.
 
1512 On September 26, the first school of advanced studies was established by Bishop Alonso Manso. 
On December 27, the Burgos Law is issued, by Ferdinand II, the Catholic, of Aragón, regulated relations between Spaniards and the conquered Indians, particularly to ensure the spiritual and material welfare of the latter, who were often severely treated. 

San Germán is founded.
 
1513 On January 27, African Slaves are introduced into the island. 

On March, Ponce de León sailed into the Bahamas headed toward Florida.
 
1514 The Spanish Crown granted permission to Spaniards to marry native Taíno Indians. 

Hernando de Peralta received permission to obtain 2 white slaves, possibly Arab or Arab Descent. 

Caribe Indians attacked settlements along the banks of the Daguao and Macao rivers that had been founded by Diego Columbus. 

Mona Island is officially annexed to Puerto Rico.
 
1515 On July, a hurricane strikes the island, killing many Indians.
 
1517 King Carlos V authorized the importation of 4,000 slaves to the Caribbean.
 
1519 Government Center is moved from Villa de Caparra to the isle of San Juan. 

Puerto Rico became the general headquarters of the Inquisition, after Pope Leo X declared the island the first ecclesiastical headquarters in the New World.
 
1521 Caribe Indians attacked the south coast. 

The city and the Island exchanged names, and the City of San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico became the official capital. 

Casa Blanca (White House) was built. The house was owned by Ponce de León's family until the late 18th century. 

The ever arriving Spaniards settlers, many of them gold-seekers, brought no women on their ships. To populate the country, the Spaniard took Indian women. With the arrival of African slaves, other elements were added. This historic intermingling has resulted in a contemporary Puerto Rico without racial problems. 

Juan Ponce de León organized an expedition, setting out for Florida, where he suffered serious injuries. He took refuge on La Habana, Cuba, where he died.
 
1522 On January 24, San Jose Church is founded, it is the oldest church still in use in America.
 
1523 The first sugar cane processing plant is built. 

The Convento de Santo Domingo (Dominican Friars Community) was built. The convent organized the first library in the island.
 
1524 The first hospital was built, called Concepción, by Bishop Alonso Manso.
1528 On their attempt to capture the Island the French attacked many settlements. On October 11, the French sacked and burned San Germán. All the other first settlements-Guánica, Sotomayor, Daguao and Loíza-had disappeared. Only the capital remained.
 
1530 Sugar became the most important agricultural product. 

Francisco Manuel de Lando conducted the first census. 

On July 26, August 23, and August 31, within 6 weeks three storms strikes the island.
 
1532 The construction of Santa Catalina Palace, the governors house, began. Later the name was changed to La Fortaleza.
 
1533 On July 26, a hurricane strikes the island. 

A month later, on August 23, another hurricane strikes the island.
 
1537 On July, a hurricane strikes the island. Few weeks later, on August another hurricane strikes the island. Many slaves died.
 
1539 Concerned about potential threats from European enemies and recognizing the strategic importance of Puerto Rico, Spain began constructing massive defenses around San Juan. The construction of San Felipe del Morro Castle began. The fort featured 18-foot-thick walls; San Cristóbal and San Geronimo Forts also garrisoned troops, were built with the financial subsidy from the Mexican mines. Next the Spaniards constructed a wall, parts of which still survive, around the entire city.
 
1542 The coconut tree was introduced to the island. The coconut is indigenous to the Indo-Malaysian region. It spread by sea currents with the average maximum distance of 3,000 miles, on which the coconut will remain afloat and still remain viable. Considering these limitations there were no or little chance of a coconut seed reach the New World. Most authorities agree that the coconut was introduced to the New World by Portuguese and Spanish traders.
 
1544 The second hospital was built, called San Ildefonso.
 
1559 Juan Ponce de León remains were brought to San Juan.
1570 The gold mines were declared depleted.
 
1587 Engineers Juan de Tejada and Juan Bautista Antonelli lay out the main design for El Morro still seen today.
 
1595 On November 22, Sir Francis Drake, hero of the battle of the Spanish Armada, with 26 vessels, in the company of Sir John Hawkins, tried fruitlessly to conquer the island and set San Juan city on fire(battlemap).
 
1598 On June 15, the British Navy led by George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, landing in Santurce, conquered the island and held it for several months, it is forced to abandon his conquest owing to an outbreak of plague among his troops (battlemap). 

Ginger replaces sugar as Puerto Rico's main cash crop.
 
1599 Spain sent 400 soldiers, 46 cannon and a new governor, Alonso de Mercado, to rebuild San Juan.

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Population:

The 3.966 million people that inhabit the island of Puerto Rico make it one of the most densely populated islands in the world. There are about 1,000 people per square mile, a ratio higher than within any of the 50 states in the United States. It is estimated that some 2 million Puerto Ricans have migrated to the United States. Had these people remained in Puerto Rico, the island would be so densely populated that there would be virtually no room for people to live. Because of the massive migration to the mainland, more Puerto Ricans are said to live in New York City than in San Juan. In recent years, many Puerto Ricans have returned to their island home, in large part because of inadequate economic opportunity in the United States.
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