Spanish control.....

"Towns in Spanish colonies were laid out in accordance with strict requirements set down by the mother country. Following the dictates of Catholic priests and the Law of the Indies, streets were arranged at right angles to one another, plazas created, and sites determined for major buildings. The discipline of this spatial pattern was faithfully adhered to from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries." ("Historic Architecture in the Caribbean Islands." University Press of Florida, 1994.)

On Plaza de Armas, is the oldest of many plazas in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Early inhabitants put forth in preparing for attacks. The plaza was used for both governmental and social center for the Spanish and the people. In 1630s, construction on the San Juan Wall began but was not completed until 1700s, the wall was watched day and night by guards with six gates that cutoff admission to the city. In 1639, the San Juan Gate is the only one built by the Spanish that is still in existance. This gate was a form of protection against invaders and only source of entry; the

city walls in Puerto Rico were 20 feet thick and 50 feet high. One of the gates was situated by the governor's mansion.

The cities of San Juan, Puerto Rico were built around a central plaza with churches and streets laid out in a grid. Plaza las Delicias was a town center where the cathedral, city hall, and fire station were located. This Plaza was in Puerto Rico's south coast, Ponce. There was other significant aspects that were added on by the Spanish to put forth the aspect of good government and unity with Chrisitianity like fountains, trees, and benches. There also still remains some original pedestrian step streets which are: Callej'on de las Monjas and Caleta del Hospital.

Through out Puerto Rico is many forts and walls that still stand today. Originally, Spain started to build fortifications and sandstone walls to protect the city from attacks from other countries.

Also the Casa Blanca mansion was built to protect Ponce de Leon unfortuneatly; he never lived there yet his descendants did for hundreds of years to follow. In 1779, Casa Blanca became a military function for the Spanish militia. Casa Alcaldia was a city hall building in San Juan in which it began building in 1602 this contributed to the historical government site.

Sources:

Big C Productions. "Puerto Rico-In Depth. " http://www.bigseaproductions.com/_PuertoRico/index.html

Crain, Edward. "Historic Architecture in the Caribbean Islands."Published by University Press of Florida, 1994.

Inquisition of Puerto Rico........

In 1513, Bishop Manso became the first Provincial Inquisitador. Diego Torres Vargas explains in his memoirs, "Manso was made inquisitador, and he, being the first, may be said to have been the Inquisitador-General of the Indies;...the delinquents were brought from all parts to be burned and punished here..." ("The History of Puerto Rico" D. Appleton and company, 1903). The sinners were not tied to a stake but captured in a hollow plaster cast, in which they were roasted instead of burned.

There is only a few recorded incidents of the Tribunal the rest of the records of the Inquisitador had been destroyed. One being Licentiate Sancho Velasquez, whom was the first to die in a dungeon for speaking againt Catholic faith and eating meat during Lent. After the West Indian Superior Tribunal was sent to Cartagena, the only thing left in Puerto Rico a subordinate judge.

February 22, a decree with a manifesto created, "The true religion which we profess is the greatest blessing which God has bestowed on the Spanish people; we do not recognize as Spaniards those who do not profess it...It is the surest support of all private and social virtues, of fidelity to the laws and to the monarch, of the love of the country and of just liberty, which are impelled you to battle with the hosts of usurper, vanquishing and annihilating them, while braving hunger and nakedness, torture, and death." ("The History of Puerto Rico" D. Appleton and company, 1903).

The Tribunal process was first, when an accusation was made the accused was sent to a prison in which they had no contact with family members until it was either resolved or condemned. The accused was no able any assistance from any family member and the name of the accuser was never revealed. Through this process, the accused was either proclaimed to either confess or deny the accusation and that would constitute how the punishment would be assessed.

The Inquisition "was introduced under the pretext of restraining the Moors and Jews, who were obnoxious to the Spanish people, and who found protection in their financial relations with the most illustrous families of the kingdom. Religion demanded it as a protection, and the people permitted it, though not without strong protest. " ("The History of Puerto Rico" D. Appleton and company, 1903).

Sources:

Middeldyk, Rudolph and Brumbaugh/ Martin. " The History of Puerto Rico: From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation." D. Appleton and company (1903).

Resources......

Cassava or Yuca

Maize

Mamey

Guava

Puerto Rico had an abundant amount of natural resources on the island which was possessed by the Taino Indians before colonization. They had many fruits and they used plants and trees for specific use which was used intelligently. The primary natural resource that the Taino Indians used was the Yuca or the Cassava. This plant is starch rich and a major source of carbohydrates but very low in proteins. They also harvested yautías, mamey, guava, maize, and anón. "Taínos believed that corn grew with the moon so they planted it on hillsides during the new moon. Some corn was picked while young and tender and it was eaten raw. Fully ripened corn was roasted." ("Tainos." El Boricua Un Poqutio De Todo (1996). The Tainos built a dwelling from a single tree which was called the Royal Palm, it was also used for buldings. Many other trees were used for chairs, bowls, and spears. They also built canoes from several other trees that could carry more than a hundred people. Tainos used the jagua tree for dyeing cotton, the guama for makingf rope and the jucaro for underwater construction. The Indians houses which were called bohois were made of palm tree. They made hammocks from cotton cloth and wooden bowls for mixing and displaying food. Also used gourds for drinking water.


The Tainos were skilled farmers, sailors, fishermen, hunters, and navigators. Their efficient ways of using their natural resources and surronding aspects made their well being pretty attainable before colonization because they had nutrition foods and technical materials with skills they produced. They not only were skillful in the agricultural aspect of it but also in the artisitc side. They produced magnficent pieces of art, " Not much of it has survived but there are sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, weaving, scepters, daggers, cemís, dujos, game belts and other Taíno artifacts in museums today. Most of their ceremonial artifacts were hidden from the Spanish in caves." (Tainos." El Boricua Un Poquito De Todo. (1996).

A major import that arised into Puerto Rico in 1516 when colonization was apparent was sugar cane. It's been said that Christopher Columbus carried sugar cane stem cuttings from the Canary Islands and then other Spanish colonists spread the crop to Puerto Rico. The European colonists not only the crop but also brought the technique to use it which was planted by plowing furrows. With this new cultivation that means lots more work and needed hands so slavery evolved with the work that was needed all around Puerto Rico not only sugar canes but mines also. The Native Americans specifically the Taino Indians were forced into slavery and left behind their stable way of living at the hands of the colonists. "A Catholic priest named Bartolomé de las Casas asked King Ferdinand of Spain to protect the Taino Indians of the Caribbean by importing African slaves instead. So, around 1505, enslaved Africans were first brought to the New World." ("Sugar and Slavery: Molasses to Rum to Slaves.") In 1598, Ginger replaces sugar as Puerto Rico's main cash crop. It wasn't until 1776, that an export was produced from Puerto Rico and that was of coffee.

Sources:

-Barreiro, Jose. "A Note on Tainos: Whither Progress?" Northwest Indian Quarterly, pp. 66-67. (1990).

-Figueroa, Ivonne. "Taínos." El Boricua Un Poquito De Todo....a monthly cultural publication for Puerto Ricans. (1996). http://www.elboricua.com/history.html

-Rivera, Magaly. "Tainos Indians Culture" (2008). http://www.topuertorico.org/reference/taino.shtml

-West, Jean. "Sugar and Slavery: Molasses to Rum to Slaves." http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_es_sugar.htm