Highlights of the Colonial

History of Puerto Rico

Intercultural Ministries Team Training – February 28, 2023​

Led by Abigaíl Medina Betancourt​
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From Spain to the United States of America

• 1493-1898
• Puerto Rico is a colony of Spain
• July 25, 1898
• United States invaded Puerto Rico and established military control of the
entire Island in October of that year
• 1898-1900
• Puerto Rico was under a military government
Foraker Act (May 1, 1900)

• Transition from military occupation to a civil government

• Declared the residents of the Island would be citizens of Puerto
Rico but not citizens of the United States
• Currency reform
• Puerto Rican pesos be redeemed for U.S. dollars at a rate of one Puerto
Rican peso to $0.60.
• The most significant consequences was a dramatic rise in the cost of living
and the currency devaluation by 40%.
Jones Act (March 2, 1917)
• The Jones Act had two purposes:
1. it declared that Puerto Ricans
were American citizens;
2. and at the same time, it limited
Puerto Rico's commerce by only
allowing it to buy and sell its
products to the United States, the
most expensive marine in the
world.
• Does not have the intention of
incorporate Puerto Rico to the US
• Implications today
1. During the natural disasters, only
US ships can arrive to Puerto
Rico, delaying tremendously the
international aid.
2. Increase the cost of goods; for
example, the same car costs
$23,000.00 in the US but
$30,000.00 in Puerto Rico
About the political situation of Puerto Rico
Are we foreigners? No; because we are American citizens, and no citizen of the
United States can be a foreigner within the boundaries of the Nation. Are we a part
of the Union? No; because we are an unincorporated Territory under the rulings of
the Supreme Court. Can you find a proper definition for this organized and yet
unincorporated Territory, for this piece of ground belonging to but not forming part
of the United States? Under the rulings of the courts of justice we are neither flesh,
fish, nor fowl. We are neither a part nor a whole. We are nothing; and it seems to
me if we are not allowed to be part of the Union we should be allowed to be a
whole entity with full and complete control of our internal affairs.

Félix Córdova Dávila discussed Puerto Ricans’ quandary: testifying before the House Committee on
Insular Affairs during the 70th Congress (1927–1929)
 Assimilation Process: Education, Language and
•
Resistance
1904-1907: English is the official teaching language in
schools in Puerto Rico
• 1916-1934: Teaching in Spanish from 1st to 4th grade,
only in English since 5th grade
• In 1916 an investigation revealed that the students do
not dominate English
• In 1925 an investigation revealed the poor
performance of the students in relation to English and
recommended that it be taught in Spanish until
seventh grade.
• 1934-1949: Teaching Spanish in elementary school and
high school exclusively in English
• 1949-today: Spanish is the official teaching language in
all school levels, and an English as Second Language
class is mandatory at all levels.
In conclusion, although during the first half of the 20th
century an attempt was made to impose English as the
language of instruction in the public education system
of Puerto Rico; and even when the second half of the
century was characterized by the promotion of the
learning of this language as a second language, the
Puerto Rican population has not achieved proficiency
in English, nor is the majority of the population
considered bilingual.
"Spanish has always been like a trench of resistance to
the imposition of a culture that is seen as foreign.”
Dr. Yolanda Izquierdo
 Assimilation Process: Religion
• Before 1898 the predominant religion in Puerto Rico was
Catholicism.
• Protestant churches arrives with the military intervention in
Puerto Rico with the ideal of Manifest Destiny; and the
Protestant ethic brings values of the capitalist economy to
Historic denominations (Presbyterians, Methodists, Disciples of
Christ, Baptists, Congregational and United Brothers) divided the Puerto Rico.
Island for mission efforts in a meeting in New York, 1899
• There were irreconcilable tensions between Protestant and
Catholic church as the Catholics were associated with the
Spanish rule and Protestants with the US rule.
• The Protestant church often legitimates the US military and
political ruling over Puerto Rico during discussions of the
Location of the 43 Baptist churches in Puerto Rico by 1910 Jones Act and the first 30 years.
 American Baptist Home Mission Societies
• ABHMS framework
• Use the national language and culture as
base for sharing the faith
• Develop a native national leadership
• 1899: ABHMS missionaries Hugh (Hugo)
P. Macormick and Augustus (Bartolo)
Barow Rudd; and Women’s Baptist
Home Mission Society missionaries Ida
Hayes and Janie P. Duggan arrives to
Puerto Rico. All of them were fluent
Spanish speakers.
• Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico
• 1902- Asociación de Iglesias Bautistas de
Puerto Rico are constituted
• 1958- First Puerto Rican elected to lead
our Association. This ends with the
position of General Missionary (from the
US)
• 1962- Puerto Rico is admitted as an ABC
USA region. We celebrated the acceptance
of a Spanish-speaking association, which
broke with all previous models.
• 1972- Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico
 A colony since 1493 and counting...
• Estado Libre Asociado (Commonwealth) • Ley PROMESA (June 30, 2016)
• First governor elected by Puerto Ricans in
1948
• Puerto Rico is a non incorporated territory
of the United States of America
• Constitution of the Estado Libre Asociado
(July 25, 1952)
• Gave a false idea of sovereignty and the end
of the colonialism
• Institutes a Fiscal Board elected by the US
congress with powers over the elected
Puerto Rican government
• This law is implemented in Puerto Rico
under the Territorial Clause of Article IV,
Section 3 of the United States
Constitution, which provides that
Congress has the authority to administer
and dispose of its territories.
• Brings back the issue or Puerto Rico still
being a colony
References
• Article 4, Section 3 of the US Constitution.
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-4/section-3/
• Hispanic Americans in Congress: Puerto Rico.
https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Historical-Essays/Foreign-Domestic/
Puerto-Rico/
• Historia Bautista, Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico. https://www.ibpr.org/historia-bautista
• La obra bautista en Puerto Rico. (2018). José Norat, editor. Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico.
• Mc Greevey, Robert, C. (2018). Borderline Citizens: The United States, Puerto Rico and the Politics
of Colonial Migration. Cornell University Press.