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82-506: Yauco ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈʝawko] ) is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico . Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea . Yauco is located south of Maricao , Lares and Adjuntas ; east of Sabana Grande and Guánica ; and west of Guayanilla . The municipality consists of 20 barrios and Yauco Pueblo (the downtown and administrative center of

164-719: A Spanish colony , the island had a primarily Roman Catholic population which appealed to the Irish immigrants, as opposed to the Protestant majorities of most of the colonies of the British Empire and the United States at the time that were openly hostile to Irish immigration. After Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain to the United States at the end of the Spanish–American War in 1898, many Irish-American soldiers who were assigned to

246-519: A blockade from 1808 to 1809. Power y Giralt, who according to Puerto Rican historian Lidio Cruz Monclova was the first native-born Puerto Rican to refer to himself as a Puerto Rican, was named Puerto Rico's representative to the Spanish Cortes in 1808 and later became vice president of this legislative assembly. He served in the Cortes until his death in 1813. Demetrio O'Daly , Thomas O'Daly's son, as

328-502: A series of earthquakes with increasing magnitude that started on December 28, 2019 and culminating with a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the island in the morning hours of January 7, 2020. More than thirty-two residences collapsed and hundreds were structurally unsound after the earthquake struck near Yauco. To aid residents who were left without power or homeless, the National Guard was mobilized. A center for emergency operations

410-525: A certain amount of social exclusion . A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Yauco: Diego Hernández, Frailes, Ranchera, Sector Primitivo Irizarry in Quebradas, El Pozo, Sector Cantera, Pueblo Norte (El Cerro), and Río Prieto. According to

492-582: A commodity crop. Coffee was first cultivated in the Rancheras and Diego Hernández sectors; it was expanded to the Aguas Blancas , Frailes and Rubias sectors. The Mariani family adapted a cotton gin in the 1860s to use in mechanical de-husking of coffee . This improved the appearance of Puerto Rico's coffee beans and helped it stand out in the international coffee market. By the 1860s the Corsican settlers were

574-531: A failed slave revolt planned and organized by Marcos Xiorro , a bozal slave. During this time, the O'Neill family arrived in Puerto Rico from Spain and other locations in the Caribbean, among them the islands of Tortola and St. Croix . They joined the already thriving Irish immigrant community. Many Puerto Ricans with the O'Neill surname can trace their ancestry to Colonel Arturo O'Neill O'Keffe. O'Neill O'Keffe

656-588: A lesser extent, Greeks and Carthaginians . Corsica has been part of France since 1768 but retains a distinct Italian culture . It was ruled by the Republic of Genoa from 1284 to 1755, when it became a self-proclaimed independent Italian -speaking Republic. In 1768, Genoa officially ceded its out of control colony to Louis XV of France as part of a pledge for debts, and in 1769 France forcibly annexed it. Hundreds of Corsicans and their families immigrated to Puerto Rico from as early as 1830, and their numbers peaked in

738-605: A long-standing practice that had led to abuses. Some of O'Reilly's other recommendations resulted in a massive twenty-year program of modernizing San Felipe del Morro Castle in San Juan, now a World Heritage Site . The training which he instituted was to bring fame and glory to the Puerto Rican militia some thirty years later during the British invasion of Puerto Rico in 1797. Field Marshal O'Reilly's civilian militia had become known as

820-406: A person's genome, in order to find or verify ancestral genealogical relationships or to estimate the ethnic mixture of an individual, have found significant Portuguese , Spanish , Native American , Corsican , Irish , Scottish , Germanic European, Italian , North African , West African and European Jewish DNA presence in individuals who are descendants from inhabitants who were born within

902-584: A place of worship. On February 29, 1756, the King of Spain granted the settlers their request and the town of Yauco was founded. Fernando Pacheco was named First Lieutenant of War of the new town. From the mid-19th to the early 20th century, hundreds of Corsican , Italian , French , Portuguese , Irish , Scots , and German immigrants arrived in Puerto Rico, attracted by the Spanish Crown's offer of free land to Catholic white European settlers. They settled mostly in

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984-530: A place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The Laws of the Indies , Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" (celebrations, festivities) ( Spanish : a propósito para las fiestas ), and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors ( Spanish : grandeza proporcionada al número de vecinos ). These Spanish regulations also stated that

1066-711: A project to paint colorful murals in Cerro de Yauco in Yauco barrio-pueblo. There are 2 beaches in Yauco, including Playa Ballenas . Some of the places of interest in Yauco include: At Yauco Pueblo (the historic downtown): Elsewhere in Yauco: To stimulate local tourism, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Yauco page lists

1148-518: A role in the town's nicknames of El Pueblo del Café (Town of Coffee), and residents of the municipality are often referred to as Los Corsos (The Corsicans). Yauco was named after the Yauco River , which itself comes from the Taíno word coayuco , meaning " cassava plantation" (also where the word yucca comes from). The city has numerous nicknames such as Pueblo del Café ("coffee town"), due to

1230-465: A young man went to Spain where he received his military training. O'Daly participated in the 1809 Peninsular War and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general during Spain's war for independence. Defender of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 , O'Daly was considered a rebel and thus was exiled from Spain by King Fernando VII in 1814. In 1820, he participated in the successful revolt against

1312-482: Is a list of people born in Yauco. Yauco barrio-pueblo As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called pueblo which contains a central plaza, the municipal buildings (city hall), and a Catholic church. Fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) are held in the central plaza every year. The central plaza, or square, is a place for official and unofficial recreational events and

1394-689: Is a well-known Puerto Rican coffee brand that is named after Yauco. Yauco also produces textiles and other light manufactured materials. Sartorius pharmaceuticals, located in Yauco, expanded their current operations there in mid 2019. Yauco celebrates its patron saint festival in October. The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Virgen del Rosario is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Yauco include: Recent genealogical DNA-based testing, which look at specific locations of

1476-533: The 2000 general election and retained his seat in both 2004 and 2008 . Nazario took a 50% pay cut which was reversed in 2005, yet his current annual wage of $ 36,000 is the lowest for any of the 78 Puerto Rican mayors, despite Yauco not being the least-populated municipality or the one with the lowest budget. Yauco belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district V , which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Ramón Ruiz and Martín Vargas Morales , from

1558-463: The 2019–2020 Puerto Rico earthquakes . The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms. The flag of Yauco consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, black the superior and gold the inferior one. The municipal coat of arms is in the center. The coat of arms of Yauco is quartered by a central cross representing Christendom . In a silver field a gold and black boiler, with seven necks and heads of black serpents in each handle, three to

1640-585: The Battle of Yauco of the Puerto Rico Campaign . The casualties of Puig's forces were two officers and three soldiers wounded and two soldiers dead. The Spanish forces were ordered to retreat. Significant rainfall from Hurricane Maria , on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Yauco, leaving entire communities cut-off. The Yauco River caused flooding that decimated entire neighborhoods. Multiple residences and structures in Yauco were damaged in

1722-472: The Captaincy General of Puerto Rico to assess the state of the defenses of that colony. O'Reilly took a very complete census of the island and recommended numerous reforms, including the instilling of strict military discipline in the local troops. He also insisted that the men serving in the defense of the realm receive their pay regularly and directly rather than indirectly from their commanding officers,

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1804-527: The Great Famine of the 1840s (over one million people died as a result of this famine) immigrated to the United States . A significant number of them went to Puerto Rico after being turned away at American ports because of epidemic outbreaks on board the ships on which they sailed. Many of these Irish settlers were instrumental in the development of the island's hugely successful sugar industry . This industry

1886-465: The Miss Universe beauty pageant are the following: Ada Perkins , Miss Puerto Rico (1978), Deborah Carthy Deu , Miss Universe 1985 and Laurie Tamara Simpson , Miss Puerto Rico (1987). The Irish element of Puerto Rico is very much in evidence. Their contributions to the archipelago's agricultural industry and in the fields of politics and education are highly notable. In the city of Bayamón, there

1968-597: The Popular Democratic Party , were elected as District Senators. Interstate Highway PRI-2 goes through Yauco. The interstate highway is designated as such because it receives up to 90% of its funding from the US Interstate Highway System . In 2019, there were 40 bridges in Yauco. A bridge that goes over Yauco River suffered damages during 2017 Hurricane Maria . A bridge that carries PR-359 would have to be demolished due to damages caused by

2050-610: The USS ; Gloucester on rafts and landed on the beach, where Lt. Méndez López and his men opened fire on the Americans. During the small battle which followed, the Americans returned fire with a machine gun and the Gloucester began to bombard the Spanish position. Lt. Méndez López and three of his men were wounded, and the militia unit retreated to the town of Yauco. This was also the site of

2132-533: The United States Census Bureau the population of Yauco in the year 2000 was 46,384 persons, decreasing to 42,043 persons in 2010 , a net loss of 4,341 people or 9.36% of its population. The urban zone accounted for 17,186 of its inhabitants in the 2010 census. The 2020 census indicated the population was 34,172 a decline of 18.7% from the 2010 census. Following Hurricane Maria , in order to lift up their spirits, Yauco's artists worked on "Yaucromatic",

2214-546: The Western Hemisphere colonies. Eventually, the temporarily-banned Irish and their families returned to the island, including the O'Dalys, Dorans, Kiernans, Quinlans, O'Ferran, Butler, Killeleigh and Skerrets, among many others. In 1823, Robert and Josiah Archibald, Irish brothers, imported and introduced to Puerto Rico the island's first steam-operated mill which they successfully used in their already profitable Ponce sugar plantation. By so doing, they further highlighted

2296-410: The "Disciplined Militia." O'Reilly was later appointed governor of colonial Louisiana in 1769 where he became known as "Bloody O'Reilly." Another Irishman, Colonel Thomas O'Daly, joined Field Marshal Alejandro O'Reilly to work on the further revamping of San Felipe del Morro and was named chief engineer of modernizing the defenses of San Juan, which included the fortress of San Cristóbal . Later he

2378-538: The 1850s, after European unrest following the Revolutions of 1848 , and environmental problems of lengthy drought. The Corsicans tended to settle in the mountainous southwestern region of the island, and Yauco attracted the majority of them. As noted, the three main crops were coffee, sugar cane and tobacco. The new settlers first worked on the farms, and some saved money in order to own and operate their own grocery stores. They began to specialize in cultivation of coffee as

2460-518: The Irish immigrant and merchant community on the island. They made their views known to the Spanish Crown to whom they condemned the governor's measures as legally unjustified and economically counter-productive, promoting their strongly held conviction to the Crown that the Irish immigrants had already proven their allegiance to the Spanish colonial government and were invaluable economic and trade partners that expanded Puerto Rico's trade horizons with Spain and

2542-509: The Spaniards were rumored to have. He came up with a plan to test these doubts: he and Urayoán (cacique of Añasco ) sent some of their tribe members to lure a Spaniard named Diego Salcedo into a river and drown him. They watched over Salcedo's body to ensure that he did not revive. Salcedo's death convinced Agüeybaná II and the rest of the Taíno that the Spaniards were not gods. They rebelled against

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2624-477: The Spanish Crown revived the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. In this second incarnation, the original decree was printed this time in three languages, Spanish, English and French, with the absolutely fervent intention of immediately attracting Europeans of non-Spanish origin. The hope was that the independence movements would lose their popularity and strength with the arrival of new settlers. Furthermore, free land

2706-599: The Spanish in 1511 but were defeated. In 1755, the Spanish settlers of the region built a small chapel and named it Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario (Our Lady of the Holy Rosary). The settlers sent Fernando Pacheco as their representative to the Spanish Government, to request the establishment of a municipality, since they had satisfied one of the requirements for the establishment of a municipality, namely, to establish

2788-504: The Spanish monarchy which resulted in his promotion to Field Marshal . He was then appointed the Representative of Puerto Rico before the Spanish Cortes. One of his accomplishments as representative was the enactment of a law which separated the civil authority from the military authority in the island. In 1823, O'Daly was exiled by the restored Spanish Crown only to return to Puerto Rico in 1834. He returned to Spain in 1836 where he died

2870-451: The anti-Spanish military campaigns of the British and ordered some of the local residents and foreigners, especially those of English and Irish descent, to be placed under surveillance. Many were given eight days to leave the island and those who did not leave were imprisoned. The people in Puerto Rico, among them Treasury official Felipe Antonio Mejía, were so outraged by de Castro's actions that they sent special envoys to Spain on behalf of

2952-414: The area of Yauco the capital of Boriken and was governed by Agüeybana , the most powerful Taíno cacique (chief) in the island. All the other caciques were subject to and had to obey Agüeybaná, although they governed their own tribes. Upon Agüeybaná's death in 1510, his nephew, Güeybaná (also known as Agüeybaná II ), became the most powerful cacique in the island. Agüeybaná II doubted the "godly" status

3034-608: The armies of other foreign nations came to be known as " Wild Geese ." Among these "Wild Geese" was Alejandro O'Reilly, an Inspector-General of Infantry for the Spanish Empire who as a military reformer became known as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Colonial Militia". He received able assistance from another Irishman, Colonel Thomas O'Daly. In 1765, the King of Spain , Carlos III , sent Field Marshal Alejandro O'Reilly to

3116-463: The coast of Puerto Rico (whenever English ships came to trade or when the Royal Navy was engaged in attacks against the Spanish colonial forces on the island), at which time they joined the Spanish colonial army, mainly in San Juan. Many of these men who served in the Spanish colonial army in Puerto Rico remained in the service of Spain after their military service was completed and decided to stay on

3198-563: The countryside. With the advent of the Second Industrial Revolution they moved to the larger cities in search of better paying jobs. Those who stayed behind and tended to their farmlands suffered the consequences of the widespread crop failures brought about as a result of long periods of drought and diseases such as the cholera epidemic and the potato fungus which caused the Great Irish Famine of 1840. Mass starvation

3280-555: The development of the island's tobacco industry. Miguel Conroy is credited with being the founder of the tobacco trade in Puerto Rico and another Irish family, the Quinlans, established two very profitable tobacco plantations, one in Toa Baja and the other in Loíza . On February 17, 1797, the governor of Puerto Rico, Brigadier General Ramón de Castro, received the news that Britain had captured

3362-524: The economic importance of the Irish immigrant community in Puerto Rico. By 1825, the Spanish Empire had lost all of its colonial territories in the Americas with the exception of Puerto Rico and Cuba. These two possessions, nevertheless, had been demanding more autonomy since the formation of pro-independence movements in 1808. Realizing that it was in danger of losing its two remaining Caribbean colonies,

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3444-410: The example of other Irishmen in Puerto Rico, married a local woman of social standing, María Gertrudis de la Puente, herself of Spanish background, and had three children, Isabel, Manuel, and Demetrio. Easily, he joined a thriving Irish immigrant community on the island that would come to be associated with the growth of commercial agriculture. Upon his untimely death in 1781, his brother Jaime took over

3526-601: The first major independence attempt, who were in exile in New York City as members of the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee. During this uprising, Vélez raised for the first time what became the current flag of Puerto Rico on local soil. Local Spanish authorities had heard rumors of the revolt and acted swiftly to suppress it. In 1898, upon the outbreak of the Spanish–American War , Guánica

3608-580: The first major land battle in Puerto Rico during the war between Spanish/Puerto Rican and American armed forces. On July 26, 1898, Spanish forces and Puerto Rican volunteers, led by Captain Salvador Meca and Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Puig, fought against American forces led by Brigadier General George A. Garretson . The Spanish forces engaged the 6th Massachusetts in a firefight at the Hacienda Desideria, owned by Antonio Mariani, in what became known as

3690-608: The first wave of Irish immigration in the 16th century this had been the case. Irish immigrants to the island intermarried with Puerto Ricans. The Irish influence in Puerto Rican politics is also notable. After Pedro Albizu Campos was honorably discharged from the United States Army, he attended Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts . While in Boston he established clubs and centers where young Irish people congregated and discussed

3772-409: The following year. Miguel Conway, Patricio Fitzpatrick, Felipe Doran, Jaime Kiernan, and Antonio Skerret were other Irishmen involved in commercial farming around northern Puerto Rico. They expanded their agricultural endeavors with the help of additional Irish immigrants to the island that they had brought over to work on their farms and plantations. Their properties covered areas from Toa Baja in

3854-493: The geographical area of Yauco and other parts of southwestern Puerto Rico. These ethnicities have significantly influenced the local culture, to include food, art, some words used in the language, customs, beliefs, and music. In 2019, Angel Luis Torres is the mayor of Yauco. Abel Nazario Quiñones of the New Progressive Party had held the office of Mayor of Yauco since 2000. He succeeded Pedro Jaime Torres by winning

3936-410: The high number of coffee plantations in the area, and Pueblo de los Corsos ("Town of Corsicans "), after the large number of Corsican immigrants who settled in the town and who were later influential to the area's coffee industry. It is also popularly known as La Capital Taína ("the Taíno capital") after the native peoples of Puerto Rico who also lived in the area. The Taino natives considered

4018-940: The highest point in the municipality and 9th highest peak in the island at 3,579 feet (1,090 m) of elevation, the Rodadero Peak and the Curet Hill. Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Yauco is subdivided into barrios . The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as "el pueblo" . Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions ) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores ( sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial , among others. Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing

4100-582: The independence of the Dutch United Provinces. Habsburg Spain at this time was at war with the Dutch in an attempt to defeat their aspirations for political sovereignty. However, in 1585, Stanley defected to the Spanish side, taking his many Irish regiments with him. He was motivated by religious considerations and, as well, by bribes offered by the Spaniards. These Irishmen who fled the English Army to join

4182-700: The independence of their homeland. Albizu Campos was invited by Éamon de Valera to assist as a consultant in the drafting of the Irish Free State constitution. After Albizu returned to Puerto Rico, he joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and soon after became the party's president. Pedro Albizu Campos adopted the Irish republican movement as the model for the Nationalist Party to follow. Besides having distinguished careers in agriculture and

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4264-482: The island by these Irish serving in the Spanish colonial army. In 1797, the Spanish governor of Puerto Rico, Ramón de Castro, ordered the expulsion of the Irish from the island. This immediately led to protests from the Puerto Rican people since they had grown to respect the Irish immigrant community for their steadfast support of the island's residents. Almost all of those who temporarily fled during this time survived

4346-446: The island of Trinidad . Believing that Puerto Rico would be the next British target of invasion, he decided to put the local militia on alert and to prepare the island's forts against any military action. After the Spanish victory in San Juan against Great Britain in what is known as the Battle of San Juan of 1797 , Governor de Castro became suspicious of all English-speaking European foreigners, mistakenly believing that they supported

4428-403: The island, most often sending for extended family members from Ireland or Spain. Some married local women. Field Marshal Alejandro O'Reilly and Colonel Thomas O'Daly, among other Irish military figures, were sent to Puerto Rico from Spain during the 18th century in order to improve the capital's fortifications. This led to an increase in Irish immigration as family members were brought to

4510-454: The island. The Irish influence in Puerto Rico is not limited to their contributions to the island's agricultural industry; they have also influenced the fields of education, the arts and sciences, and politics. Beginning in the 16th century, the English Crown engaged in a gradual conquest of Ireland to bring the island under England's control. Sir William Stanley , an English Catholic,

4592-534: The leaders of the coffee industry in Puerto Rico, and seven out of ten coffee plantations were owned by Corsicans. The pro-independence movement raised the second and last major revolt here against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, known as the Intentona de Yauco (the attempted Coup of Yauco ). The revolt, which occurred on March 26, 1897, was organized by Antonio Mattei Lluberas , Mateo Mercado and Fidel Vélez. They were supported by leaders of El Grito de Lares ,

4674-422: The military bases in the island chose to stay upon meeting other Irish-descended individuals in Puerto Rico. Unlike their counterparts who settled in the United States in close knit communities, the Irish immigrants on the island quickly became part of the community in Puerto Rico and adopted the language and customs of the island, thereby completely integrating themselves into the society of their new homeland. From

4756-554: The military, Puerto Ricans of Irish descent have made many other contributions to the Puerto Rican way of life. Their contributions can be found in, but are not limited to, the fields of education, commerce, politics, science and entertainment. Among the members of the O'Neill family, whose contributions to Puerto Rican culture are evident today, are Héctor O'Neill , Mayor of Guaynabo and Ana María O'Neill , an educator, author, and advocate of women's rights . Puerto Rican beauty queens of Irish descent who represented their country in

4838-506: The most important industries of the island was the sugar industry. In addition to Thomas O'Daly, whose plantation was a huge financial success, other Irishmen became successful businessmen in the industry, among them Miguel Conway, who owned a plantation in Hatillo , and Juan Nagle, whose plantation was located in Río Piedras . Not surprisingly, Puerto Ricans of Irish descent also had a hand in

4920-697: The municipality). It is both a principal town of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area . It was founded by Fernando Pacheco on February 29, 1756, and developed for commodity crops of tobacco , sugar cane , and coffee . Yauco became a center for Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico in the 19th century due to its geographical similarity to their homeland. Corsicans have contributed to many areas of life in Yauco, particularly to its coffee industry . This has played

5002-514: The murals at Yaucromatic, the view from the top of a mountain in Sierra Alta called Pico Rodadero , the Refugio de Vida Silvestre del Embalse Luccieti , and (for agritourism ) a honey production farm in barrio Diego Hernandez called Apiturismo, as places of interest. Yauco's main crops are coffee, plantains, oranges and tobacco. Yauco coffees are a revived specialty origin that, at best, display

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5084-460: The news of the invading forces to the town's mayor. Only Agustín Barrenechea, Vicente Ferrer, Juan María Morciglio, Simón Mejil, Salvador Muñoz, Cornelio Serrano and Pascual Elena stayed to welcome the invaders. The first skirmish between Spanish/Puerto Rican and American armed forces was fought in that barrio between the Puerto Rican militia and twenty-eight sailors and Marines , under the command of Lieutenants H. P. Huse and Wood. They had come from

5166-560: The non-Hispanic Caribbean and European nations helped him economically but hindered his nomination to a post on the prestigious San Juan City Council. O'Daly remained in Puerto Rico where he died of natural causes in 1806 and was buried in the San Juan Cathedral. Joaquín Power y Morgan, of Spanish, Irish and French ancestry, came to Puerto Rico in connection with the Compañía de Asiento de Negros (Black Agreement Company) which regulated

5248-522: The northeast to Luquillo in the east. At one point, Kiernan managed to acquire 400 acres (1.6 km ) of land in Hato Rey , increasing his total landholdings to 800 acres (3.2 km ). Undoubtedly, Irish immigrants played an instrumental role in the development and further expansion of Puerto Rico's economy and trade with Europe and other European colonies on the North and South American continents. One of

5330-445: The population of Pueblo barrio was 6,108. Irish immigration to Puerto Rico Irish immigration to Puerto Rico began during the period of Spanish colonization of the island, continuing through 19th century to the present day. During the 16th century, many Irishmen, who were known as " Wild Geese ", deserted from the English Army and joined the Spanish Army . They did so either in Europe or when they could "jump ship" off

5412-465: The property and helped raise Thomas's children. Jaime O'Daly was named director of the Real Fábrica de Tabaco (Royal Tobacco Factory) in Puerto Rico by the Spanish Crown in 1787. Jaime O'Daly became a successful sugar and tobacco planter. His nephews, Julio and Arturo O'Neill, moved to Puerto Rico in 1783 with their slaves and plantation equipment and were later followed by Thomas Armstrong, another Irishman and planter in 1791. O'Daly's connections with

5494-411: The qualities that made Jamaica Blue Mountain famous: A deep, vibrant, yet restrained acidity and balanced, gently rich flavor. However, this potentially finest of Caribbean coffees is often marred by inconsistency. Coffee production and sales from Yauco reached faraway places such as Europe in the 19th century and many non-Yauco coffee producers even tried to link their products to the city. Cafe Yaucono

5576-449: The right hand, confronted with four to the left-hand side. Bordered by a checkered band in gold and black. The second and third quarters, in a field of gold, two coffee plant flowers of five leaves of silver and four red. The coffee plant flower and the coffee grains represent their cultivation in the Yauco municipality. The border of the Arms represents the beads of the rosary. The four-tower crown represents its town status. The following

5658-451: The slave trade on the island. He married María Josefa Giralt of Catalan and Irish descent and they settled in San Juan. In 1775, they had a son whom they named Ramón. Their son would go on to an illustrious career in the service of both Spain and Puerto Rico. Ramón Power y Giralt distinguished himself as a captain in the Spanish Navy when he defended the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo against an invasion from French forces by enforcing

5740-463: The south-central region. The island of Puerto Rico is somewhat similar in geography to the island of Corsica and appealed to many Corsican immigrants. Corsica was part of the Republic of Genoa for centuries until 1768. Corsicans descend from a combination of ancient Corsi people from northeastern Sardinia and people who came over later from northern and central Italy (including Tuscans , Etruscans , Ligurians , and Romans ) along with, to

5822-450: The streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain. Located across the central plaza in Yauco barrio-pueblo is the Parroquia Santísimo Rosario , a Roman Catholic church which was inaugurated in 1934. There have been two other churches there; the first pueblo church which was made from wood was constructed in 1754 and frequented by patrons until 1848. Then in 1849 another church

5904-473: The surnames of O'Neill (their Irish father) y Chabert (their French mother). All, with the exception of Tulio Luis, were born in Puerto Rico where they married and raised their families. Because of the many economic and political changes occurring in Europe during the latter part of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, hundreds of agricultural farm workers and their families abandoned their work in

5986-596: The witch hunt created by Governor de Castro and returned to live in Puerto Rico discreetly. The Spanish government enacted the Royal Decree of Graces (Real Cédula de Gracias) in 1815 to encourage European Catholics of non-Spanish origin to immigrate to the last two remaining Spanish possessions in the New World , Puerto Rico and Cuba . Spain hoped to blunt the nascent independence movements in both colonies by way of this measure. Many Irish who fled their homeland because of

6068-478: Was a small barrio within the municipality of Yauco. It had 60 houses in all and was defended only by eleven members of the 4th Volante de Yauco, a Puerto Rican militia unit, under the command of Lieutenant Enrique Méndez López. When the convoy with General Nelson A. Miles , approached the barrio, Guánica lighthouse keeper Robustiano Rivera immediately alerted its residents. Nearly all the residents abandoned their homes and joined Rivera to go to Yauco, where he broke

6150-546: Was built. It was demolished in 1930 making room for the church that stands there now. Yauco barrio-pueblo was in Spain's gazetteers until Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became an unincorporated territory of the United States . In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that

6232-563: Was given a special commission by Queen Elizabeth I to organize a regiment in Ireland of solely native Irish soldiers and mercenaries. This policy was intended to get rid of Irish men who the English authorities wanted out of Ireland, where the English Crown considered them a threat to their control over the country. These Irishmen were sent to fight as mercenaries on behalf of England in support of

6314-445: Was granted land in the vicinity of Guaynabo and O'Daly developed it into a thriving sugar hacienda. O'Daly and fellow Irishman Miguel Kirwan became business partners in the "Hacienda San Patricio" which they named after the chief patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick . The plantation no longer exists. The land on which it was located is now a suburb called San Patricio with a shopping mall , San Patricio Plaza. O'Daly, following

6396-543: Was offered to those who wanted to immigrate to the two islands on the condition that they swear loyalty to the Spanish Crown and allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church . Among the hundreds of Irish immigrant families who received free land was that of Angus McBean. The McBeans became involved in the cultivation of sugarcane and established a huge plantation in Bayamón. In 1821, the slaves owned by McBean were involved in

6478-584: Was set up in the municipality's auditorium parking area, with air-conditioned tarps and tents for evacuated hospital patients and with food being cooked by World Central Kitchen . Yauco is a mountainous municipality located in the Cordillera Central and bisected by the Río Yauco . Other rivers in the municipality are the Río Chiquito , Duey Loco and Río Naranjo . Hills in the area include Mount Membrillo,

6560-529: Was the son of Tulio O'Neill O'Kelly and Catherine O'Keffe y Whalen. On August 8, 1828, O'Neill O'Keffe, a Knight of the Royal Order of King Carlos the 3rd of Spain and 2nd Marqués del Norte, served as a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish garrison of the City of Bayamón. He was married to Joanna Chabert Heyliger. The offspring of Arturo and Joanna O'Neill were Tulio Luis, Arturo, Micaela Ulpiana and Gonzalo, all of whom had

6642-443: Was vital to the growing local economy. After Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States by Spain as a consequence of the Spanish–American War in 1898, many US soldiers of Irish-American ancestry were stationed in the island. They met members of the population who were island-born and Irish-descended. These soldiers stayed in Puerto Rico where they were quickly incorporated into the Irish, non-Irish, and native communities throughout

6724-485: Was widespread in Europe. Specifically, in Ireland, the Great Famine killed over one million people and created nearly two million refugees . These refugees went to Great Britain , the United States, Australia , Canada , New Zealand , and, of course, the Caribbean. One of the islands that many Irish families emigrated in large numbers to throughout this period continued to be Irish-friendly Puerto Rico. Moreover, being

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