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103-520: The district of Santurce of the city of San Juan , Puerto Rico derives its name from Santurtzi. According to legends, the current church of St. George was originally founded as a monastery by English monks fleeing from religious persecution. They established themselves on the Basque coast, specifically the Somorrostro Valley, from which would later develop the town of Santurtzi. The name Santurtzi

206-546: A bohio (hut) on the master's land, and were given a patch of land where they could plant and grow vegetables and fruits. Africans had little or no opportunity for advancement and faced discrimination from the Spaniards. Slaves were educated by their masters and soon learned to speak the master's language, educating their own children in the new language. They enriched the "Puerto Rican Spanish" language by adding words of their own. The Spaniards considered Africans more malleable than

309-472: A "whitening" process while under U.S. rule. There was a dramatic change in the numbers of people who were classified as "black" and "white" Puerto Ricans in the 1920 census, as compared to that in 1910. The numbers classified as "Black" declined sharply from one census to another (within 10 years' time). Historians suggest that more Puerto Ricans classified others as white because it was advantageous to do so at that time. In those years, census takers were generally

412-531: A clandestine organization called "The Secret Abolitionist Society". The objective of the society was to free slave children by paying for freedom when they were baptized. The event, which was also known as "aguas de libertad" (waters of liberty), was carried out at the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria Cathedral in Mayagüez . When the child was baptized, Betances would give money to the parents, which they used to buy

515-494: A community of 81,251 of inhabitants living in a land area of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km ). It is subdivided into 40 "subbarrios" (sub-districts). For centuries "barrios" were the primary administrative division of Puerto Rico's municipalities, however, presently they primarily serve statistical purposes for both the U.S. Census Bureau & the Puerto Rico Planning Board . The most densely populated area lies to

618-453: A cultural imprint in the area. In the 20th century, it grew as a key economic and cultural center of San Juan with an influx of businesses, theaters, and hotels, making it one of the most significant cultural districts in Puerto Rico. Today, Santurce's neighborhoods like Condado and Miramar have become popular tourist and commercial areas. The history of the settlement of Santurce

721-487: A number of Portuguese descendants who arrived in Puerto Rico after the start of the Portuguese Inquisition in 1536. These are descendants of Converso families. There are some who maintain elements of Jewish traditions, although they themselves are, or were raised as Christians. Santurce also has a very big Dominican community , along with Cuban , Colombian, Argentine and Chinese communities. Santurce has

824-555: A period of cosmopolitan revival and economic growth in 2009, as many new local establishments such as bars, clubs and restaurants opened their doors due to the resurging importance of trade and tourism prompted by a decrease in rent which attracted both artists and entrepreneurs to the area. Since then, Santurce began experiencing a new wave of gentrification and is now hailed by many as Puerto Rico's " hipster haven". In 2018, twenty-two murals were painted in and around Santurce to illustrate Santurce's culture and history, which inspired

927-701: A plantation. Rose Clemente, a 21st-century black Puerto Rican columnist, wrote: "Until 1846, Blacks on the island had to carry a notebook (Libreta system) to move around the island, like the passbook system in apartheid South Africa." After the successful slave rebellion against the French in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in 1803, establishing a new republic, the Spanish Crown became fearful that the "Criollos" (native born) of Puerto Rico and Cuba , her last two remaining possessions, might follow suit. The Spanish government issued

1030-575: A population of only 95,000 inhabitants and, with the exceptions of districts such as Condado, Miramar and Ocean Park, was experiencing extreme urban decay . Despite notable developments such as the Puerto Rico Convention District and the Tren Urbano , early 21st century Santurce saw a continuation of a period of economic decline now coupled with the financial crisis of the local banking and mortgage system. The district however began

1133-459: A wealthy Puerto Rican of German descent. Additionally, a large influx of Jewish Cubans also arrived immediatelly after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. With the establishment of a more robust island-wide roadway infrastructure, Santurce however began to experience a rapid population decline starting in the 1960s decade as large numbers of residents began to move outward from the city and into

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1236-923: Is also a key industry based on Santurce's proximity to Puerto Rico's main international airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport , and the smaller Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport . The concentration of hotels are primarily located in the Condado area where there are numerous luxurious hotels including La Concha Resort , Marriott and the Conrad Hotel . 18°26′27″N 66°02′50″W  /  18.44083°N 66.04722°W  / 18.44083; -66.04722 Afro%E2%80%93Puerto Ricans Afro–Puerto Ricans ( Spanish : Afropuertorriqueños ), most commonly known as Afroboricuas , but also occasionally referred to as Afroborinqueños, Afroborincanos , or Afropuertorros, are Puerto Ricans of full or partial sub-Saharan African origin, who are predominately

1339-640: Is closely linked to that of Old San Juan due to its location as the closest entry point from the Islet of San Juan to the Puerto Rican mainland and for its location between the San Juan Bay and the Atlantic coast. San Antonio Bridge, the first bridge connecting the islet to the main island was built across Condado Lagoon in the 1560s, during a period of infrastructural and military development of San Juan that also saw

1442-883: Is derived from the Latin Sant Georgi , as was the hermitage in Gordejuela near current Oquendo. In neighbouring Cantabria , Burgos and Araba exist several towns with variations of the same name: Santurde, Santiurde de Reinosa and Santurdejo. The Spanish language form Santurce first appeared in 1333, whilst its Basque counterpart would first be shown written in 1372. During the Middle Ages it could also be found referred to as San Jurdic, San Yurdie, Sturse and Santursi, amongst others. In current day, both names are used interchangeably, with certain preference given to Santurtzi , given its frequent use in Spanish. The official name of

1545-464: Is known as "Abolition Day" and it is a holiday celebrated by those who live in the island. The Spanish's limited focus on assimilating the black population, and maroon communities established from slave plantations, contributed to the majority African influence in black Puerto Rican culture. High amounts of interracial marriage and reproducing, since the 1500s, is the reason why the majority of Puerto Ricans are mixed-race European, African, Taino, but only

1648-519: Is located in Santurce's Central Park. The district also has a baseball and a basketball team both known as the Santurce Crabbers ( Cangrejeros de Santurce ) because of the original name of the township. They have been part of the community for over 70 years. Both teams have enjoyed great domestic success, the baseball team is regarded as the ‘ New York Yankees of Puerto Rico ’, largely in part to

1751-556: Is mainly flat with low hills toward the central areas and swampy areas to the south along the Martín Peña Channel and to the east near the Laguna San José (San José Lagoon). The highest point is at Monteflores at 23 meters (75 feet) above sea level. Structures of architectural value and historical importance are located mainly throughout Avenida Juan Ponce de León , Avenida Ashford and Avenida Fernández Juncos . Santurce

1854-718: Is not at high altitude, the significant heights being spurs of the Serantes (Serandi): The Mallet (245m) and the Fortified Heights (123 and 106m). Its relief is contained within the north flank of the anticline of Biscay. It is a structural type relief composed of urgonian limestone from the Cretaceous period found all throughout Punta Lucero-Serantes, smoothly inclined towards the Estuary of Bilbao . The climate in Santurtzi pertains to

1957-616: Is not considered to be as severe as other places in the New World, possibly because of the following factors: Two Puerto Rican writers have written about racism; Abelardo Díaz Alfaro (1916–1999) and Luis Palés Matos (1898–1959), who was credited with creating the poetry genre known as Afro-Antillano. The Treaty of Paris of 1898 settled the Spanish–American War , which ended the centuries-long Spanish control over Puerto Rico. Like with other former Spanish colonies, it now belonged to

2060-423: Is one of the top ten most-populated areas of Puerto Rico. It includes the neighborhoods of Miramar , Loíza , Isla Grande , Barrio Obrero , and Condado , which are cultural hot spots for art , music , cuisine , fashion, hotels , technology, multimedia, film , textile and startups . The 2010 U.S. Census recorded a total population of 81,251 people living in an area of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km ). It

2163-620: Is surrounded by six bodies of water: San Juan Bay , Condado Natural Lagoon , the Martín Peña Channel, San José Lagoon , Los Corozos Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean with its respective beaches and estuaries. Geographically speaking, Santurce is a peninsula connected to the Puerto Rico mainland in the east, where it borders with the Isla Verde district of Carolina . It is 7.6 km long from west to east, and up to 3.0 km wide in

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2266-521: Is the main residence of two major museums on the island. Santurce is home to some of the most prestigious private education institutions in Puerto Rico. It also includes notable public schools: Santurce has the most modern swimming facilities in the Caribbean and fourth in the world. It is an Olympic aquatic sports facility used to host local and international events such as the 2nd A.S.U.A Pan American Masters Swimming Championship. The San Juan Natatorium

2369-489: Is the most populous borough ( barrio ) in Puerto Rico and one of the most densely populated areas of San Juan, at 15,447.0 residents per square mile (6,931.2/km ). Santurce is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean with over 1,500 people attending two local synagogues. Jews were officially prohibited from settling in the island through much of its history, but many managed to settle in

2472-643: The Carretera Central linking San Juan to Ponce in 1898. The Treaty of Paris in 1898 saw the culmination of the Spanish-American War , with Puerto Rico now becoming a colony of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Santurce was 5,840. The United States Army established Camp Las Casas , in

2575-749: The Cuban Stars . He was later followed by others such as Francisco Coimbre , who also played for the Cuban Stars. The persistence of these men paved the way for the likes of Baseball Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda , who played in the Major Leagues after the colorline was broken by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947; they were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for their achievements. Cepeda's father Pedro Cepeda ,

2678-543: The Guinea . The number of slaves in Puerto Rico rose from 1,500 in 1530 to 15,000 by 1555. The slaves were stamped with a hot iron on the forehead, a branding which meant that they were brought to the country legally and prevented their kidnapping. African slaves were sent to work in the gold mines to replace the Taíno, or to work in the fields in the island's ginger and sugar industries. They were allowed to live with their families in

2781-498: The Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office as protected historic zones today. At its population peak in 1950, Santurce had a population of 195,007 inhabitants, making it more populated than every other municipality in the island at the time. This figure together with the annexation of Río Piedras a year after, brought the population of the municipality of San Juan to 451,658 by 1960, making it

2884-456: The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 to attract European immigrants from non-Spanish countries to populate the island, believing that these new immigrants would be more loyal to Spain than the mixed-race Criollos. However, they did not expect the new immigrants to racially intermarry, as they did, and to identify completely with their new homeland. By 1850, most of the former Spanish possessions in

2987-583: The United States Army 's Orchestra Europe. They were assigned to the 369th Infantry Regiment, an African-American regiment; it gained fame during World War I and was nicknamed " The Harlem Hell Fighters " by the Germans . The United States also segregated military units in Puerto Rico. Pedro Albizu Campos (1891–1965), who later became the leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party , held

3090-628: The West Indies . The town of San Mateo de Cangrejos (" Saint Matthew " of the Crabs) was officially founded in 1760 by Basque settlers who formally acquired the land around what are today the subbarrios of San Mateo , Pulguero and Minillas . The area around what is today Isla Grande was also developed during this time with projects such as the Miraflores armory , established as part of military infrastructure developments by Alejandro O'Reilly . Santurce

3193-495: The continental Americas . However, the Spanish , hoping to destabilize the neighboring colonies of competing world powers , encouraged enslaved fugitives and free people of color from the non-Hispanic Caribbean to emigrate to Puerto Rico. As a result, Puerto Rico indirectly received large numbers of sub-Saharan Africans from neighboring British , Danish , Dutch , and French colonies seeking freedom and refuge from slavery. In

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3296-716: The "Father of Black History" in the United States, and a major study center and collection of the New York Public Library is named for him, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture . He coined the term Afroborincano, meaning African-Puerto Rican. After the United States Congress approved the Jones Act of 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship . As citizens Puerto Ricans were eligible for

3399-511: The "Father of the Statehood for Puerto Rico" movement. Another distinguished Puerto Rican of African descent, who advocated Puerto Rico's independence, was Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874–1938). After emigrating to New York City in the United States, he amassed an extensive collection in preserving manuscripts and other materials of black Americans and the African diaspora. He is considered by some to be

3502-456: The 19th century, slavery in Puerto Rico was increased, as the Spanish , facing economic decline with the loss of all of its colonial territories in the Americas aside from Cuba and Puerto Rico , established and expanded sugar cane production in the island. Since 1789, slaves in Puerto Rico were allowed to earn or buy their freedom. Throughout the years, there were several slave revolts in

3605-401: The 21st century, some ethnic African Puerto Ricans still carry non-Spanish surnames, proof of their descent from these immigrants. After 1784, Spain suspended the use of hot branding the slave's forehead for identification. In addition, it provided ways by which slaves could obtain freedom: In 1789, the Spanish Crown issued the "Royal Decree of Graces of 1789", which set new rules related to

3708-573: The Americans had achieved independence. On May 31, 1848, the Governor of Puerto Rico Juan Prim, in fear of an independence or slavery revolt, imposed draconian laws, "El Bando contra La Raza Africana", to control the behavior of all Black Puerto Ricans, free or slave. On September 23, 1868, slaves, who had been promised freedom, participated in the short failed revolt against Spain which became known as " El Grito de Lares " or "The Cry of Lares". Many of

3811-559: The Central Slave Registrar. In 1872 it began gathering the following data on the island's slave population: name, country of origin, present residence, names of parents, sex, marital status, trade, age, physical description, and master's name. This has been an invaluable resource for historians and genealogists. On March 22, 1873, slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico, but with one significant caveat. The slaves were not emancipated; they had to buy their own freedom, at whatever price

3914-530: The Fijo or the local civil militia. Puerto Ricans of African ancestry played an instrumental role in the defeat of Sir Ralph Abercromby in the British invasion of Puerto Rico in 1797. Despite these paths to freedom, from 1790 onwards, the number of slaves more than doubled in Puerto Rico as a result of the dramatic expansion of the sugar industry in the island. Every aspect of sugar cultivation, harvesting and processing

4017-510: The Spaniards arrived on the island of Borinquen (Puerto Rico), they were greeted by the Cacique Agüeybaná , the supreme leader of the peaceful Taíno tribes on the island. Agüeybaná helped to maintain the peace between the Taíno and the Spaniards. According to historian Ricardo Alegria , in 1509 Juan Garrido was the first free African man to set foot on the island; he was a conquistador who

4120-474: The Spanish Court. He fought for the freedom of the natives and was able to secure their rights. The Spanish colonists, fearing the loss of their labor force, also protested before the courts. They complained that they needed manpower to work in the mines, build forts, and supply labor for the thriving sugar cane plantations. As an alternative, Las Casas suggested the importation and use of African slaves. In 1517,

4223-582: The Spanish Crown permitted its subjects to import twelve slaves each, thereby beginning the African slave trade in their colonies. According to historian Luis M. Diaz, the largest contingent of African slaves came from the areas of the present-day Ghana , Togo , Benin , Nigeria ; all these current countries are located in the Gulf of Guinea , area also known as the Slave Coast . The large majority were Yoruba and Igbo , ethnic groups from Nigeria, and Bantu from

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4326-533: The Spanish Minister of Overseas Affairs, Segismundo Moret (1833–1913), presented a proposal for the abolition of slavery. On March 22, 1873, the Spanish government approved what became known as the Moret Law , which provided for gradual abolition. This edict granted freedom to slaves over 60 years of age, those belonging to the state, and children born to slaves after September 17, 1868. The Moret Law established

4429-530: The Taíno, since the latter were unwilling to assimilate. The slaves, in contrast, had little choice but to adapt to their lives. Many converted (at least nominally) to Christianity ; they were baptized by the Catholic Church and were given the surnames of their masters. Many slaves were subject to harsh treatment; and women were subject to sexual abuse. The majority of the Conquistadors and farmers who settled

4532-502: The US if one were "white". The descendants of the former slaves became instrumental in the development of Puerto Rico's political, economic and cultural structure. They overcame many obstacles and have contributed to the island's entertainment, sports, literature and scientific institutions. Their contributions and heritage can still be felt today in Puerto Rico's art, music, cuisine, and religious beliefs in everyday life. In Puerto Rico, March 22

4635-627: The United States, responded in various ways. The racial bigotry of the Jim Crow Laws stood in contrast to the African-American expansion of mobility that the Harlem Renaissance illustrated. One Puerto Rican politician of African descent who distinguished himself during this period was the physician and politician José Celso Barbosa (1857–1921). On July 4, 1899, he founded the pro-statehood Puerto Rican Republican Party and became known as

4738-447: The United States, were not allowed to do so. In 1892 organized baseball had codified a color line, barring African-American players, and any player who was dark-skinned, from any country. Ethnic African-Puerto Ricans continued to play baseball. In 1928, Emilio "Millito" Navarro traveled to New York City and became the first Puerto Rican to play baseball in the Negro leagues when he joined

4841-425: The United States. With the United States control over the island's institutions also came a reduction of the natives' political participation. In effect, the U.S. military government defeated the success of decades of negotiations for political autonomy between Puerto Rico's political class and Madrid's colonial administration. Puerto Ricans of African descent, aware of the opportunities and difficulties for blacks in

4944-414: The accomplishments of its legendary players, such as Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays . Santurce has an extensive healthcare network which includes two of the finest hospitals on the island, Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital and Pavia Hospital . Santurce experienced significant economic growth following World War II. During this period the district underwent an economic revitalization. Tourism

5047-468: The annual Santurce es Ley arts festival, the largest mural and arts festival in the Caribbean and one of the largest of its kind in Latin America. Santurce is located along the north-eastern coast of Puerto Rico. It lies south of the Atlantic Ocean, east of Old San Juan and west of Isla Verde . The district occupies an area of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km ) of land and 3.46 (8.96 km2) of water. It

5150-487: The area of Las Casas in 1904. The camp was the main training base of the Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry (on January 15, 1899, the military government changed the name of Puerto Rico to Porto Rico and on May 17, 1932, U.S. Congress changed the name back to "Puerto Rico") The Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry was a U.S. Army Regiment which was later renamed the " 65th Infantry Regiment ". The 65th Infantry Regiment

5253-524: The area of Condado in order to cater to the increasing number of tourists and visitors from overseas. Between 1937 and 1948, Santurce became one of the most vibrant areas of the capital. Numerous museums, art galleries, music venues also opened during this time. The district, notably Miramar and Sagrado Corazón, also experienced an architectural boom as vernacular Criollo style interacted with imported styles such as Art Deco , Prairie School and Spanish Revival . Some of these areas have been designated by

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5356-472: The areas which became known as Cangrejos ( Santurce ), Carolina , Canóvanas , Loíza , and Luquillo . Some became slave owners themselves. The native-born Puerto Ricans (criollos) who wanted to serve in the regular Spanish army petitioned the Spanish Crown for that right. In 1741, the Spanish government established the Regimiento Fijo de Puerto Rico. Many of the former slaves, now freedmen, joined either

5459-606: The bronze medal in boxing in the Bantamweight division. The event was also historic because it was the first time that Puerto Rico had participated as a nation in an international sporting event. It was common for impoverished Puerto Ricans to use boxing as a way to earn an income. On March 30, 1965, José "Chegui" Torres defeated Willie Pastrano by technical knockout and won the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association light heavyweight championships . He became

5562-507: The celebrations of the Virgin of the Carmen are carried out each year. Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico Santurce ( Spanish pronunciation: [sanˈtuɾse] , meaning Saint George from Basque Santurtzi ) is the largest and most populated barrio of the municipality of San Juan , the capital city of Puerto Rico . With a population of 69,469 in 2020, Santurce is also one of

5665-593: The child's freedom from the master. José Julián Acosta (1827–1891) was a member of a Puerto Rican commission, which included Ramón Emeterio Betances, Segundo Ruiz Belvis, and Francisco Mariano Quiñones (1830–1908). The commission participated in the "Overseas Information Committee" which met in Madrid , Spain. There, Acosta presented the argument for the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico . On November 19, 1872, Román Baldorioty de Castro (1822–1889) together with Luis Padial (1832–1879), Julio Vizcarrondo (1830–1889) and

5768-605: The colony.) The immigrants provided a population base to support the Puerto Rican garrison and its forts. Freedmen who settled the western and southern parts of the island soon adopted the ways and customs of the Spaniards. Some joined the local militia , which fought against the British in the many British attempts to invade the island. The escaped slaves and the freedmen who emigrated from the West Indies used their former master's surnames, which were typically either English or French. In

5871-527: The cornerstone of the economy. With the scale of Puerto Rico's economy reduced, colonial families tended to farm these crops themselves, and the demand for slaves was reduced. With rising demand for sugar on the international market, major planters increased their cultivation and processing of sugar cane, which was labor-intensive. Sugar plantations supplanted mining as Puerto Rico's main industry and kept demand high for African slavery. Spain promoted sugar cane development by granting loans and tax exemptions to

5974-449: The count in 1878 further helped the population of the barrio to considerably grow. Other key developments during this time were the construction of a civil hospital in 1885 (today the location of the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico ), the establishment of street lighting and the electric grid in 1893, the installation of phone infrastructure in 1897, and the inauguration of both railway service and

6077-460: The demand for labor on sugar plantations. In 1836, the names and descriptions of slaves who had escaped, and details of their ownership were reported in the Gaceta de Puerto Rico . If an African presumed to be a slave was captured and arrested, the information was published. Planters became nervous because of the large number of slaves; they ordered restrictions, particularly on their movements outside

6180-561: The descendants of slaves , freedmen , and free Blacks original to West and Central Africa . The term Afro-Puerto Rican is also used to refer to historical or cultural elements in Puerto Rican society associated with this community, including music , language , cuisine , art , and religion . The history of Afro-Puerto Ricans traces its origins to the arrival of free West African Black men, or libertos (freedmen), who accompanied Spanish Conquistador Juan Ponce de León at

6283-399: The eastern part. The peninsula is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, with more than five km of beaches from the Condado peninsula in the west, to a point 600 m east of Punta Las Marías , where it borders on the Isla Verde area, and Laguna San José and its northern embayment, Laguna Los Corozos to the east. To the south is the Martín Peña Channel , which separates Santurce from

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6386-407: The edification of its city walls . Fortín San Antonio was also built during this time in order to defend the city from both northeast foreign invaders and land-based indigenous attacks. The area that would become Santurce was first settled between the end the 16th-century and throughout the 17th-century by both freed and escaped slaves coming from both rural Puerto Rico and other islands throughout

6489-409: The first Puerto Rican boxer to gain international recognition when he fought against (Panama) Joe Gan at the "Palace Casino" in New York. In the 1948 Summer Olympics (the XIV Olympics), celebrated in London, boxer Juan Evangelista Venegas made sports history by becoming Puerto Rico's first Olympic medal winner when he beat Belgium's representative, Callenboat, on points for a unanimous decision. He won

6592-554: The following centuries, by 1873 slaves had carried out more than twenty revolts. Some were of great political importance, such as the Ponce and Vega Baja conspiracies. By 1570, the colonists found that the gold mines were depleted. After gold mining ended on the island, the Spanish Crown bypassed Puerto Rico by moving the western shipping routes to the north. The island became primarily a garrison for those ships that would pass on their way to or from richer colonies. The cultivation of crops such as tobacco, cotton, cocoa, and ginger became

6695-403: The gold mines and in the construction of forts. Many Taíno died, particularly due to epidemics of smallpox , to which they had no immunity . Other Taínos committed suicide or left the island after the failed Taíno revolt of 1511. Friar Bartolomé de las Casas , who had accompanied Ponce de León, was outraged at the Spanish treatment of the Taíno. In 1512 he protested at the council of Burgos at

6798-460: The humid oceanic climate type. The temperatures are moderate throughout the year, with more frequent rains in spring and autumn. Winters are mild and summers not excessively warm. The average temperature is 20 °C (70ªF) in summer and 8 °C (48ªF) in winter. Santurtzi City Council (2023-2027): Mayor Councillors The life in the area is focused on the sea, which inspires its work and its leisure. Fishing boat and rowing boat races, and

6901-431: The island as secret Jews . Many arrived from France , the Netherlands , Saint-Barthélemy and Curaçao after World War II . A minor portion are descendants of Jewish Cubans who came to establishment after Fidel Castro 's Cuban Revolution of 1959. Like in many former Spanish colonies founded soon after the Spanish Inquisition , there are some Puerto Ricans who are Crypto-Jews . Recent DNA ancestry has identified

7004-461: The island had arrived without women; many of them intermarried with the African or Taíno women. Their multiracial descendants formed the first generations of the early Puerto Rican population. In 1527, the first major slave rebellion occurred in Puerto Rico, as dozen of slaves fought against the colonists in a brief revolt. The few slaves who escaped retreated to the forests and mountains, where they resided as maroons with surviving Taínos. During

7107-556: The island to help in the construction of a railroad system and a steam tramway between San Juan and the town of Río Piedras through the center of San Mateo de Cangrejos. He was later granted the title of Count of Santurce by the Spanish Crown. With the newly acquired title and influence, the district was renamed after his title, county of Santurce ( condado de Santurce ), a decision that has caused controversy ever since. The tourist district of Condado (Spanish for 'county') traces its etymology to this title. The steamway service developed by

7210-399: The island. Promised their freedom, slaves participated in the 1868 Grito de Lares revolt against Spanish rule . On March 22, 1873, slavery was officially abolished in Puerto Rico . The contributions of Puerto Ricans of full or mostly sub-Saharan African descent to music, art, language, and heritage have been instrumental in shaping the culture of Puerto Rico . When Ponce de León and

7313-546: The main avenues of Ponce de León and Fernández Juncos among others. In the peripheries of Santurce there is a rapid transit system called Tren Urbano . The Sagrado Corazón station is the terminus of the sole metro system line of San Juan , located in the southeast section of the district in the neighborhood of Martín Peña . Santurce is a few minutes away by car from the US territory’s main airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport , and from San Juan's secondary commercial airport, Isla Grande Airport . Santurce

7416-527: The military draft, and many were drafted into the armed forces of the United States during World War I. The armed forces were segregated until after World War II. Puerto Ricans of African descent were subject to the discrimination which was rampant in the military and the U.S. Black Puerto Ricans residing in the mainland United States were assigned to all-black units. Rafael Hernández (1892–1965) and his brother Jesus, along with 16 more Puerto Ricans, were recruited by Jazz bandleader James Reese Europe to join

7519-504: The most densely populated areas of the main island of Puerto Rico (13,257.4 persons per square mile (5,178.6/km )) with a population larger than most municipalities of the territory. Founded as San Mateo de Cangrejos in the 1760, Santurce officially became part of the municipality of San Juan in 1863. From its original settlement, its history has been marked by diverse waves of immigration, particularly of Afro-Puerto Rican , Chinese , Jewish and Dominican communities who have left

7622-486: The municipality has also seen various changes. During the 19th century it was officially considered to be Santurce, however in 1901 it was divided in two. The inland part of this division would become Santurce Ortuella, as the mining town of Ortuella had grown enough to promote itself as the largest urban conglomeration of Santurce. The coastal side maintained its population base in Santurtzi, and began to be called Old Santurce. The cultural and traditional relationship between

7725-463: The neighborhoods of Santurce with high urbanization in Miramar , Ocean Park , Sagrado Corazón and the formal establishment of a local marketplace , for example, also in 1910. Tourism industry in Puerto Rico is formally born during this time with the establishment of Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in 1917, something that would quickly prompt the opening of numerous hotels, restaurants and other businesses in

7828-481: The newly emerging suburbs of Bayamón , Carolina , Guaynabo , and Levittown , for example. This period also saw a shift in business and commercialization away from Santurce, which before functioned as one of the main urban cores of the city, towards Hato Rey , and its newly developed central business district that is popularly known as the Golden Mile ( la Milla de Oro ). By the end of the 20th century, Santurce had

7931-549: The northern barrios of former municipio Río Piedras : Hato Rey Norte , Hato Rey Central , and Oriente . To the west is San Juan Bay , where three bridges, Dos Hermanos Bridge (Ave. Ashford), G. Esteves Bridge ( Ave. Ponce de León ) and San Antonio Bridge (Ave. Fernandes Juncos) connect Santurce with La Isleta (small island) where Old San Juan is located. It has a total area of 8.70 square miles (22.5 km ) composed of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km ) of land and 3.46 square miles (9.0 km ) of water area. The topography

8034-515: The ones to enter the racial classification. Due to the power of Southern white Democrats, the US Census dropped the category of mulatto or mixed race in the 1930 census, enforcing the artificial binary classification of black and white. Census respondents were not allowed to choose their own classifications until the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It may have been that it was popularly thought it would be easier to advance economically and socially with

8137-467: The owners of the plantations. They were also given permits to participate in the African slave trade. To attract more workers, in 1664 Spain offered freedom and land to African-descended people from non-Spanish colonies, such as Jamaica and Saint-Domingue (later Haiti ). Most of the free people of color who were able to immigrate were of mixed-race , with African and European ancestry (typically either British or French paternal ancestry, depending on

8240-512: The participants were imprisoned or executed. During this period, Puerto Rico provided a means for people to leave some of the racial restrictions behind: under such laws as Regla del Sacar or Gracias al Sacar, a person of African ancestry could be considered legally white if able to prove they also had ancestors with at least one person per generation in the last four generations who had been legally white. Therefore, people of black ancestry with known white lineage became classified as white. This

8343-521: The people tell me---: Chronicles of the Puerto Rican colony in New York). Critics of discrimination say that a majority of Puerto Ricans are racially mixed, but that they do not feel the need to identify as such. They argue that Puerto Ricans tend to assume that they are of Black African, American Indian, and European ancestry and only identify themselves as "mixed" only if they have parents who appear to be of distinctly different "races". Puerto Rico underwent

8446-426: The price sought. Slaves were allowed to earn money during their spare time by working as shoemakers, cleaning clothes, or selling the produce they grew on their own plots of land. Slaves were able to pay for their freedom by installments. They pay in installments for the freedom of their newborn child, not yet baptized, at a cost of half the going price for a baptized child. Many of these freedmen started settlements in

8549-568: The rank of lieutenant. He founded the "Home Guard" unit of Ponce and was later assigned to the 375th Infantry Regiment, an all- black Puerto Rican regiment, which was stationed in Puerto Rico and never saw combat. Albizu Campos later said that the discrimination which he witnessed in the Armed Forces, influenced the development of his political beliefs. Puerto Ricans of African descent were discriminated against in sports. Puerto Ricans who were dark-skinned and wanted to play Major League Baseball in

8652-417: The second largest city in the Caribbean (after Havana ) and the 29th largest city in the United States at the time. The population of the district became the most diversified at the time with large numbers of immigrant communities establishing businesses and institutions in the area. For example, the first synagogue in Puerto Rico, Sha'are Zedeck, was established here during this time in 1952 by William Korber,

8755-422: The slave trade and added restrictions to the granting of freedman status. The decree granted its subjects the right to purchase slaves and to participate in the flourishing slave trade in the Caribbean. Later that year a new slave code, also known as El Código Negro (The Black Code), was introduced. Under "El Código Negro", a slave could buy his freedom, in the event that his master was willing to sell, by paying

8858-445: The slaves, and is part of Puerto Rico's heroic folklore. The 1834 Royal Census of Puerto Rico established that 11% of the population were slaves, 35% were colored freemen (also known as free people of color in French colonies, meaning free mixed-race /black people), and 54% were white. In the following decade, the number of the slave population increased more than tenfold to 258,000, the result mostly of increased importation to meet

8961-521: The small patches of land allotted to them by their former masters. In a sense, they resembled the black sharecroppers of the southern United States after the American Civil War , but the latter did not own their land. They simply farmed another's land, for a share of the crops raised. The government created the Protector's Office which was in charge of overseeing the transition. The Protector's Office

9064-594: The southeast bordering the San José Lagoon and the Martín Peña Channel , while the least densely populated areas are found by the mangrove swamps to the south surrounding the Martín Peña Channel, and the western area of Isla Grande , a decommissioned United States Navy military base. Public transportation is provided by several bus lines (locally known as guaguas) operated by the Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority and circulate along

9167-679: The start of the colonization of the island of Puerto Rico . Upon landing and settling, the Spaniards enslaved and exploited the indigenous Taíno natives to work in the extraction of gold . When the Taíno forced laborers were exterminated primarily due to Old World infectious diseases , the Spanish Crown began to rely on sub-Saharan African slavery emanating from different ethnic groups within West and Central Africa to staff their mining , plantations , and constructions . While there

9270-597: The third Puerto Rican and the first one of African descent to win a professional world championship. Among those who exposed the racism and discrimination in the US which Puerto Ricans, especially Black Puerto Ricans, were subject to, was Jesús Colón . Colón is considered by many as the "Father of the Nuyorican movement". He recounted his experiences in New York as a Black Puerto Rican in his book Lo que el pueblo me dice--: crónicas de la colonia puertorriqueña en Nueva York (What

9373-495: The two divisions can still be observed in the border area of Kabiezes . On 14 November 1980, Vicente Zorita Alonso —a candidate for the Basque Parliament and a long time administrative employee—was murdered by ETA as a statement against political supporters of the oligarchy . In general, Santurtzi has a very rough orography , although excluding Mount Serantes (452m) - one of its most symbolic topographic elements - it

9476-492: The urban history of the city of San Juan. The town church, San Mateo de Cangrejos of Santurce Parish , would also be established during this time in 1832. The establishment of the telegraph network in 1858 further modernized the town, which by 1863 was formally annexed to the municipality of San Juan. In 1876, an engineer from the port town of Santurtzi in Spain's autonomous Basque Country region known as Pablo Ubarri arrived on

9579-506: Was Pedro Mejías. Mejías married a Taíno woman chief (a cacica), by the name of Yuisa. Yuisa was baptized as Catholic so that she could marry Mejías. She was given the Christian name of Luisa (the town Loíza, Puerto Rico was named for her). The peace between the Spanish and the Taíno was short-lived. The Spanish took advantage of the Taínos' good faith and enslaved them, forcing them to work in

9682-452: Was arduous and harsh. Many slaves died on the sugar plantations. The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 was intended to encourage Spaniards and later other Europeans to settle and populate the colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico . The decree encouraged the use of slave labor to revive agriculture and attract new settlers. The new agricultural class immigrating from other countries of Europe used slave labor in large numbers, and harsh treatment

9785-568: Was captured by the British under the command of Ralph Abercromby on April 18, 1797, during the early stages of the 1797 siege of San Juan , but it was later liberated on May 1. Santurce saw further urban growth during the early decades of the 19th century thanks to the establishment of the Camino Real , a military road between San Juan and the town of Río Piedras (then called El Roble) built in 1810; this stretch of road now known as Ponce de León Avenue would prove to be of extreme importance in

9888-530: Was denied a shot at the major leagues because of his color. Pedro Cepeda was one of the greatest players of his generation, the dominant hitter in the Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico after its founding in 1938. He refused to play in the Negro leagues due to his abhorrence of the racism endemic to the segregated United States. Black Puerto Ricans also participated in other sports as international contestants. In 1917, Nero Chen became

9991-523: Was frequent. The slaves resisted -from the early 1820s until 1868, a series of slave uprisings occurred on the island; the last was known as the Grito de Lares . In July 1821, for instance, the slave Marcos Xiorro planned and conspired to lead a slave revolt against the sugar plantation owners and the Spanish Colonial government. Although the conspiracy was suppressed, Xiorro achieved legendary status among

10094-579: Was part of Juan Ponce de León 's entourage. Garrido was born on the West African coast, the son of an African king. In 1508, he joined Juan Ponce de León to explore Puerto Rico and prospect for gold. In 1511, he fought under Ponce de León to repress the Carib and the Taíno, who had joined forces in Puerto Rico in a great revolt against the Spaniards. Garrido next joined Hernán Cortés in the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Another free African man who accompanied de León

10197-454: Was segregated. However, a separate division called the 375th Regiment enlisted Black soldiers. The base continued in operation until 1946, when it was finally closed. Residencial Las Casas would later be developed on this location. The district of Condado continued to rapidly grow after the construction of Dos Hermanos Bridge in 1910, connecting the district to San Juan Antiguo . This period of population growth brought prosperity to many of

10300-399: Was set by their last masters. The law required that the former slaves work for another three years for their former masters, other people interested in their services, or for the state in order to pay some compensation. The former slaves earned money in a variety of ways: some by trades, for instance as shoemakers, or laundering clothes, or by selling the produce they were allowed to grow, in

10403-675: Was slavery in Puerto Rico, the island received less sub-Saharan enslaved laborers than other Spanish and non- Hispanic colonies in the Caribbean and the Americas . The need for direct enslaved labor brought through the Atlantic slave trade was greatly reduced by the depletion of gold in Puerto Rico in the 16th century, and the island began to serve primarily as a strategic and military outpost to support, protect, and defend trade routes of Spanish ships traveling between Spain and territories within

10506-502: Was the opposite of the later "one-drop rule" of hypodescent in the United States, whereby persons of any known African ancestry were classified as black. During the mid-19th century, a committee of abolitionists was formed in Puerto Rico that included many prominent Puerto Ricans. Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances (1827–1898), whose mixed-race parents were wealthy landowners, believed in abolitionism, and together with fellow Puerto Rican abolitionist Segundo Ruiz Belvis (1829–1867), founded

10609-572: Was to pay any difference owed to the former master once the initial contract expired. The majority of the freed slaves continued to work for their former masters, but as free people, receiving wages for their labor. If the former slave decided not to work for his former master, the Protectors Office would pay the former master 23% of the former slave's estimated value, as a form of compensation. The freed slaves became integrated into Puerto Rico's society. Racism has existed in Puerto Rico , but it

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