The History of Puerto Rico

Lisa Pierce Flores

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9780313354182
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780313354199
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Latin American & Caribbean History
• Index: History

This book offers a concise yet comprehensive history of Puerto Rico, from the reign of Taino Indians through its centuries as a Spanish colony to its present-day standing as a thriving economic force in Latin America with a unique and ever-evolving relationship with the United States.

Drawing on dramatic recent developments in research, The History of Puerto Rico offers the most up-to-date and fully realized exploration of the island's past for students, travelers, and general readers alike.

The History of Puerto Rico ranges from the earliest indigenous settlements to the reign of the Taino, from the centuries under Spanish control through more than 100 years of life under the U.S. flag. Insightful and authoritative, the book helps readers understand the history behind Puerto Rico's complicated contemporary political status, its unique relationship with the United States, and the current efforts of Puerto Ricans to reclaim their indigenous and African heritage, leverage their bilingual culture for economic gain, and celebrate their cultural and artistic achievements.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Series Foreword
• Preface
• Timeline of Historical Events
• 1 Puerto Rico and Its People
• 2 Borinquen: Origins and Encounter (4000 BCE–1500 CE)
• 3 Spanish Colony: From San Juan Bautista to Puerto Rico (1493–1800)
• 4 Spanish Province: Autonomy Thwarted (1800–1898)
• 5 U.S. Territory: Military Occupation and Civil Government (1898–1948)
• 6 Commonwealth: The Freely Associated State of Puerto Rico (1948–1968)
• 7 State of Transition: After Operation Bootstrap (1968–1998)
• 8 Puerto Rico Today (1999–2009)
• Notable People in the History of Puerto Rico
• Glossary of Selected Terms
• Notes
• Bibliographic Essay
• Index