Christopher Columbus: The History And History Of Puerto Rico

In 1493, Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico, during the second voyage he called it San Juan Bautista. Later in 1508, the Spanish permitted settlement rights to Juan Ponce de Leon, who established a settlement at Caparra and became the first governor. In 1519, “Caparra relocated to a nearby coastal islet with a healthier environment, it was renamed Puerto Rico” (“Every Culture”). Puerto Rico is the easternmost and smallest of the Greater Antilles and is connected by the Atlantic Ocean. Puerto Rico is heavily populated and urbanized. The food on the island have some Taino and African inspirations, however the island has a vast history with Rum and Coffee. There is a lot to learn about its history, culture, politics, economics, and food. …show more content…
On his second voyage to the Indies in 1493, Christopher Columbus arrives on the island and claims it for Spain and changed the name to San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist). Then in 1509, the first repartimiento in Puerto Rico is recognized allowing settlers a fixed numbers of Tainos for wage-free and forced labor in the gold mines.. When few priests complain, the crown requires Spaniards to pay native employees and to teach them the Christian religion; the colonizers continue to treat the natives as slaves. While in 1513, African slaves are brought to the island by the Spanish as workers in the gold mines. Caparra moved to a harbor island and renamed Puerto Rico. Over time, the port becomes known as San Juan and the whole island as Puerto Rico. Later in 1830, Puerto Rico cultivates a plantation economy based on sugarcane and coffee. While the sugar and molasses, primarily exported to the United States provides an ample source of earnings for the Spanish government. The brief Spanish-American War, in which the United States wins Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and other colonial properties from Spain under the Treaty of Paris, thwarted