Puerto Rico

1873-1897. In 1873, slavery was abolished. After the overthrow of Isabel II, liberties in Puerto Rico doubled. Newspapers were then freer to publish and political parties were entitled to air their own views about any topic. In 1897, the island was granted political and administrative autonomy. A year later, Puerto Rico’s first government, headed by Francisco Mariano Quiñones, was instituted.

1868. The Lares Uprising, occurred on September 23, 1868, proclaimed Puerto Rico’s independence on that same date. It all happened several days before since the independence movement had been squealed on. Under the slogan “Long Live Free Puerto Rico,” Lare’s city hall was stormed by an insurgency movement that claimed independence after submitting all Spanish troops. A republican government presided over by Francisco Ramirez Medina was installed. Nonetheless, this effort backfired as the people and the liberals did not back it up. Poor timing and leadership among the revolutionaries were to blame for the failure. A few days later, Spanish soldiers had quelled the movement and its participants were jailed. Prisoners were released on an amnesty issued due to the revolution that had taken place in Spain in that same year.

1866. Jose De Diego was born on April 16, 1866 in Aguadilla. Puerto Rican poet, orator, teacher and patriot.

1863. Jose Mercadois born, known as Momo, the great Puerto Rican poet and patriot.

1861. They reached the beaches of the Caribbean island of Vieques late in the evening on August 5, 1816. Wrapped in an unsuspicious silence to avoid tipping off Spanish soldiers, they got off a brig called The Free Indian. They landed stricken with hunger and exhausted after a perilous voyage.

1859. Luis Muñoz Rivera is born. This politician was Jose de Diego’s antagonist.

1855. Poet Manuel Zeno Gandia is born. This great novelist is penciled in as one of the best Hispanic naturalists.

1851. Jose Gautier Benitez was born in 1851. He’s considered one of the best romantic poets in Puerto Rican literature.