History of Puerto Rico

When Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico in 1493, it was already inhabited by as many as 50,000 Taino Indians. The Tainos called the island “Boriken” which means “the great land of the valiant and noble lord”. Claming the island for Spain, Columbus renamed it San Juan Bautista in honor of St. John the Baptist. The main town was named Puerto Rico for its excellent potential as a port for their ships.

When Juan Ponce de Leon became the islands first governor in 1508 the names were interchanged, thus the island became known as Puerto Rico and the main town became San Juan. It was during this time that the island became a very important military outpost in the Caribbean.

To guard against threats by pirates and buccaneers, a fortress was built in San Juan harbor. El Morro and San Cristobal guarded approaches on San Juan harbor, foiling attempts by invaders to conquer Puerto Rico. This was what kept Spain’s colony to the island intact.

During the Spanish-American war in 1898, of which America was victorious, the island was ceded to America. In 1917 the Jones Act made Puerto Ricans American citizens and the island an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Today, Puerto Rico has become an important tourist destination in the Caribbean. With the development of its natural resources into ecotourism sites, a lot of visitors have visited the island generating much needed revenue. Aside from being a tourist spot, it is a major pharmaceutical and manufacturing center.