Show A short history of porto rico porto bico was discovered by christopher columbus in november 1493 the island was the borinquen aborigines at the time ot its discovery it is estimated that there were native inhabitants on the island the native invasion by spain was in 1510 in that year ponce de leon led an army of invasion from hayti and bounded the town of caparra caparra was soon afterwards abandoned end is now jhb city of puerto viejo in 1511 with more success ponce de leon founded the city of ban joan bautista the capital by the end of 1518 ponce de leon had subdued and practically exterminated abe native population in 1595 san juan was sacked by drake three years later 1598 the duke of cumberland attacked abe capital and laid it waste after three days fighting in 1615 baldwin heinrich attacked castello del mono but failed to take it and lost bis life ia abe engagement in abe made an equally unsuccessful attempt to capture abe forts protecting abe capital abercrombie in 1797 was compelled to retire after a three days siege the first movement towards a declaration of independence on abe part of the porto ricans was made in 1820 the first struggle was stubborn but spanish supremacy was completely reestablished by 1823 As in all her colonies tyranny barbarity and misrule had become unbearable cuba and porto rico have since been striving for the same result independence so called autonomy has been thrown out to abe porto ricans just as it has to abe cubans as a means ot insurrections the native population which revolt anz again and attain against spanish tyranny has not possessed courage and persistence like the cuban insurgents an account of its small size about forty to miles the island affords little room for maintaining tor any co able time guerrilla warfare against a ed spanish tormy the attempt at n in but was ever in a day severe sym t attempts to throw off the yoke of spanish oppression have been made since abe beginning of the cuban struggle notably one in april sa abs fired the lown of and operated near adjuntas the leaders of the rebel band were captured and tried in secret j the cuban revolutionary parly la pledged not to accept independence from spain unless porto letco ie recognized at the bame time on account ol 01 bia inability to reconcile the porto to autonomy general marin bitterly bated for his oppression was compelled to resign aa governor Ko vernor general of the island that december ilia cruel regime solidified the revolutionary population the island lorma one province of spain with laws resembling in beneral those ol 01 the mother country it is under the command ot the gover nor who is also the captain sen eral of the army and is assisted by a cabinet there a the usual provincial assembly court of claims a chief engineer of public works a chief engineer of mines and miner functionaries function aries the island elects ahrea senators and fifteen deputies to the spanish cortee and twenty seven provincial deputies the island was declared a province of spain in 1870 top population has grown from in 1830 to about making t at present one of the most thickly settled portions of the globe in proportion to its size porto rico was a spanish penal colony tor three centuries slavery on the island was abolished by the spanish cortes in march 1873 new york world |