Juan Ponce de León

In 1508, Ponce de León (1460-1521) conquered and explored the first settlement in Puerto Rico , Caparra (later renamed San Juan) which he claimed under the Spanish crown. Ponce de León, a former lieutenant under Christopher Columbus, accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. The Indians advised him that he would find gold in his neighboring island to the east, which was Puerto Rico. During his conquest, he used just a few troops and a famous greyhound dog named Bercerillo which scared the Naive Americans. Nevertheless, he was greeted with open arms by the Tainos, Cacique, Agueybana. As a result, Ponce de León was named Governor of Puerto Rico in 1509 by King Ferndinand of Spain. Most of the settlers alleged that the island was being well run by him; it had an abundant amount of natural resources and a large number of slaves. Ponce de León and the other conquistadors forced the Tainos to work in the mines and to construct fortifications. But he was noted for his passive treatment of the Indians. Within a year, Juan Ponce de León had subdued most of the Native Americans and gained control over most of the Island. The Tainos were diminishing in great numbers after exposure to the European diseases (smallpox, influenza, measles, and typhus) and the enslavement they subjected on them. Ponce de León, however, became rich while serving as Governor. As early as 1511, Fray Antonio de Montesinos from the Catholic doctrine fought to abolish the inhumane treatment and forced labor of the Tainos on Puerto Rico. The Complementary Declaration of July 28th, 1513 established that those natives who were clothed, Christian, and capable could live their own lives. In 1512, Juan Ponce de León was removed from office and replaced by Christopher Columbus's son, Diego Columbus, in a political conflict. Some say it was because of Taino's almost demise and some say it was due to Columbus's death that triggered his son's greediness. He left Puerto Rico and started to explore areas north of Cuba. Juan Ponce de León conquered and help colonize the new lands by forcing the Indians into slavery. By 1513, African slaves were introduced into the island and by 1540 the gold reserves were worn out.The farms capitalized on slave labor to maintain limited cash development of cassava, corn, tobacco, ginger, etc. During the 1520s, the island took the name of Puerto Rico and the port became well-known San Juan.

Sources:

-Dietz, J. "Economic History of Puerto Rico: Institutional Change and Capitalist Development." Princeton University Press. (1986). http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7lUqqXjo9csC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Juan+Ponce+de+leon+and+the+native+americans+in+puerto+rico%3F&ots=kHNxLUUPrL&sig=y0iUMiifbsCWvfrSnrkIDZI-uO8#PPA5,M1
-Schimmer, R. "Puerto Rico." Yale University.(2008). http://www.yale.edu/gsp/colonial/puerto-rico/index.html