Puerto Rico Travel Guide - History

When Columbus arrived, he was apparently met by 50,000 Taino Indians. The island was further inhabited by the Igneri and Aracaicos, both South American Indian tribes. Columbus originally named the island San Juan Bautista, after Saint John the Baptist, and the island was colonised by the Spanish.

Puerto Rico’s original name was Boriken (meaning ‘land of the great lords’) and the current name, Puerto Rico, came from a port in the north named by the Spanish. This name was switched by Spanish cartographers, switching San Juan with Puerto Rico, which means ‘rich port’. Because of this, the original name of the island has been kept as the name of the capital, San Juan.

During a short period in the end of the 16th century, Puerto Rico was held by the British for several months. The island reverted back to the Spanish, but by end of the 19th century, immense poverty and political estrangement with Spain led to a local uprising, known as the Grito de Lares.

The relationship with the US began during the Spanish-American War in 1898, when Puerto Rico was invaded by the US. This relationship continues to date, as Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth of the US in 1952, as ratified by President Truman. However, the relationship has not always been a happy one and is part of an ongoing debate. For example, Puerto Ricans receive US citizenship on birth, but cannot vote in the US, unless they live in the US. There have also been movements to either make Puerto Rico a state of the US or independent. This debate continues to date.