Plantation Sugar Economy in Puerto Rico Assignment | Get Paper Help

Guidelines are in Blackboard folder “Research paper”. The paper must be between 6-8 (cover & references pages do not count) original work, computer-typed and double-spaced on font 12 letter size paper, Chicago or MLA style with no less than five references. The student must select a topic from the list suggested in the guidelines and produce the paper using primary sources (newspapers, interviews, reports, etc.) and secondary sources (books, journal articles, visual media, etcetera). Maximum secondary sources are 3. The main textbook should be used as background reading.

Puerto Rican History to 1897

Research Paper guidelines

1. Select a topic that addresses any of the subtopics in the syllabus.
2. Formulate a question(s) that is going to set the framework of your paper
3. Conduct a preliminary research on sources about your topic. You must use at least
   three sources and a maximum of five. The sources should include primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include: interviews, documents, official/government reports, documentaries, films, organization publications, newspapers, and etcetera. Secondary sources include: books, scholarly journals, and other printed documents. NOTE: Internet sources are not acceptable unless it is a reputable website such as an archival record or digital document. For example, many documents on Puerto Rican politics are available online. Be aware
   of citing these sources properly, providing in the bibliography page website and date of access. DO NOT USE “Wikipedia” (only article “History of Puerto Rico”)
4. Once you select your research topic write a research statement (see item 2) and an
   outline. The outline is a “blueprint” of how you are going to develop your paper.
   A complete research paper should include a title, an introduction, body of work/analysis, a conclusion and a bibliography. The format of the bibliography must be consistent and follow the guidelines of the MLA or Social Science standards (See MLA citation on Blackboard).
5. Your narrative must be clear and you must substantiate your arguments by integrating the sources available on the topic. Your sources must be acknowledged within your narrative by using either footnotes or parenthetical citation.
6. Research methods and sources: You must begin your research online using the Hunter University library and the Centro for Puerto Rican Studies library collection.
7. Students are going to present outline, research question and preliminary bibliography on May 2 and 9.
8. The paper must be between 7-8 pages (cover & references pages do not count) original work, computer-typed and double-spaced on font 12 letter size paper, Chicago or MLA style with no less than five references.

Suggested topics:

Biography: (you can work on a person that contributed to the evolution of Puerto Rican historyand Culture). For example, Ramón E. Betances, Mariana Bracetti, Segundo RuizBelvis, Eugenio María de Hostos, Ramón Power y Giralt,Lola Rodriguez deTió, etcetera.

Colonial Inequalitiesand Survival: Cadiz Constitutions,Culture:plastic Arts (Francisco Oller or Campeche) or Literature

Political or cultural Resistance: the Lares Rebellion (Grito de Lares), Quest for Autonomy

Slavery: Plantation sugar economy, slavery, abolitionism,etcetera

Slavery: Plantation Sugar Economy

Research Statement

Slavery was the main impetus and motivation of planation sugar economy in Puerto Rico Islands. While industrial revolution coupled with the use of machinery boosted large scale farming, the economy grew weaker after the abolishment of slave trade.

Research outline

Introduction

1. Puerto as a Spanish colony

1. Slave trade factor
2. Thesis statement

1. Background study

1. International laws
2. Overseas territories
3. The 1868 revolution and slavery

1. The colonial times
2. European colonization and slavery
3. Sugar plantations and milling plants
4. Large scale production necessitated by slaves
5. Works Cited

Puerto Rico was among the last Spanish colonies in America, and in it, slavery had a decisive economic weight. England’s international position against the slave trade in the 1820s prevented easy supply. The case of the Amistad boat whose slaves rebelled and driven to the United States, caused a legal and diplomatic conflict. The successive uprisings in Cuba from the last third of the 19th century, until the Cuban War of Independence of 1895-1898, had as one of its causes the polemics between slavery and abolitionism. Slavery fueled the sugar plantation economy in Puerto Rico prior to abolishment of the practice.
International pressure promoted laws contrary to the slave trade in 1817 (in exchange for a payment by England of 400,000 books as compensation), in 1835 and 1845. The reiteration of the laws was proof of its ineffectiveness. In 1837, the abolition of slavery was enacted in the metropolitan territory, but not in the overseas territories, where the presence of slaves was really significant, demographically and economically (McCaffrey p. 20). The Spanish Abolitionist Society was founded on April 2, 1865 on the initiative of Puerto Rican Julio Vizcarrondo. The Abolitionist Society opened sections in Seville, León, Barcelona and Zaragoza. In 1866 the Society was closed by the government of general Narváez, coinciding with the worsening of  the political repression  against the progressives.
After the  Revolution of 1868,  abolitionist activism promoted the  Moret law  (4th of July 1870, called by  Segismundo Moret, Minister of Overseas and later of Finance; also called the law of  free wombs  or  freedom of wombs ). With it, freedom was granted to anyone born after December 17, 1868, as well as to slaves over 60 years of age or who helped to suppress the simultaneous independentist upheaval in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Subsequently, with the First Republic , the abolition of slavery was proclaimed in Puerto Rico (March 22, 1873), although not in Cuba. The number of slaves in Puerto Rico was significantly lower (thirty-one thousand) (McCaffrey par. 15). The Restoration (1875) started preventing the Abolitionist Society from functioning, but in 1880 it was allowed. On October 7, 1886, slavery legally came to an end. The Abolitionist Society dissolved in 1888.

The Colony Times

Ponce de León (“the seeker of the fountain of youth”) was the first governor of the island, appointed in 1508 in the first Spanish colony established in Caparra, on an arm of the river Baiamão (today Bayamón). In 1521, the Spaniards moved to the current São João. Old São João, the old part of the city, remained as it was in that period (De Wagenheim 65). The first Spaniards who arrived in Puerto Rico were looking for gold above all else, however, given the limited resources on the island, they soon had to settle, found farms and raise animals to survive. Although it had no gold, Puerto Rico’s strategic position began to matter. As an entrance to Hispano America, it was specially codified by the European colonial empires, which sought areas of influence in the New World. In view of this fact, the Spanish Government raised a series of fortifications, among which El Morro stands out, positioned to dominate the Port of São João. In the course of the next three centuries, the colonizers had to defend the island on numerous occasions from attacks by French, Dutch and English, traditional enemies of the Spanish empire. Immigration also continued little by little, and the islanders endeavored to grow a local economy, based on cattle and the production of sugar cane, coffee and tobacco, using African slaves as labor.

The 19th Century

In the 19th century, and more specifically from 1815, the second important migratory wave in Puerto Rico began. On those dates, the island received the status of Viceroyalty with extensive trade privileges and freedoms. This Cédula de Gracia granted by Fernando VII offered numerous advantages to Spanish emigrants and new Latin American republics (Figueroa 74). As the 19th century came to a conclusion, Puerto Rico consolidated itself socially, economically and politically, becoming an important colony exporting sugar. Slavery was abolished in 1873. Puerto Rico ceased to belong to the Spanish crown as a result of the brief war between Spain and the USA in 1898, when the islands were ceded to the United States. It was a short campaign, of only four weeks and which cost the United States only four dead. On the contrary that Cuba, which gained its independence in 1898, Puerto Rico did not have a sufficient army that would prevent the United States from arrogating the island’s protectorate.

20th century

In the beginning, the United States placed a military government and Puerto Rico came under the War Department. The US government tried to impose reforms in the health conditions of the population, in tax legislation and sought the close control of local governments. However, the Puerto Rican people were unhappy, and several independentist attempts by autonomist caudillos like Luis Muñoz Rivera were developed.

European colonization and slavery

The island was claimed by the Spanish and eventually called Puerto Rico We can only imagine why the Spaniards were interested given this name. It was then ruled by the Spanish and a member of the inquisition became the first governor of the islands (Wagenheim and Jiménez 59). The native Taino tribes were forced to become slaves on the island that once inhabited freely and work for the Spanish. Others were killed by the illnesses that the Spaniards brought with them. The Taino tribe struck back on one occasion, and one of their soldiers drowned, just to see if they were immortal or not.
African slaves were introduced to remain in the labor market. The island it became a very important strategic place for the Spanish Empire. The Dutch, English and French all tried to capture the islands, but none of them achieved any kind of long-term success. At this stage in Puerto Rico’s history, the Spanish placed a great emphasis on the islands. The 17th and 18th centuries saw a shift to that focus and other territories received more attention, leaving Puerto Rico with far fewer inhabitants.

US Military Rule and Hope for Independence

After a revolt, the island obtained an autonomous status and its inhabitants became very tired of the poor political and social conditions. In 1898, the island was invaded by the Americans as part of the Spanish American wars. Puerto Rico was ceded to the Americans under the Paris Treaty after the war. The early 20th century saw Puerto Rico’s history come under US military rule. This meant that they were part of the war effort. Moreover, the island suffered from an earthquake, hurricane, tsunami and the great depression. This led to a march in 1937, which was held in a city called Ponce. This was not a peaceful event and the police opened fire, thus killing 19 protesters. The event went down in Puerto Rico history as the Ponce massacre. In 1947, Puerto Rico was granted the right to choose its own government. This led to a revolt against the USA, which in turn led to yet another massacre. Puerto Rico experienced industrialization in the mid-20th century and is now a popular tourist destination. Very few of the natives support any movement outside the United States and the Independence Party generally receives 3 to 5% of the votes cast.
The sugar estates were on family property managed by the owners and worked by slaves and civilians. Most of the sugar estates were located on the banks of the main rivers of Puerto Rico to take advantage of the hydraulic energy that moved the sugar mills and to irrigate the sugar cane fields.

Much of the sugar production was concentrated in the towns of Ponce, Mayagüez and Guayama, which produced 54% of the island’s total. This growth in sugar was due to 2 factors: the changes introduced by the Spanish and the opening of new markets.

In 1898, after the Spanish American War, the industry underwent additional changes. US investors replaced many of the European investors established on the Island. Large sugar mills such as the Guánica Central and the Fajardo Sugar Co. were then established. Increased sugar prices in world markets, as well as capital investments, resulted in Puerto Rico becoming one of the main international sugar producers. This, however, because the cane industry required a high number of labor subjected to conditions very similar to those of slavery.

By 1812 the sugar economy had grown a lot and so had the slave population that supported that economy. The sugar cane originating in the South Pacific enters the European continent with the arrival of the Muslims. It was brought to Puerto Rico in 1501 by the Spanish. With the decline of mining, the Spanish crown directed the economy towards agriculture and livestock. They decided on agriculture since they anticipated its enrichment through the cultivation of sugar cane.

Further Slavery and sugar Plantations

Sir Thomas Castellón established the first sugar mill in Anasco, in 1523. By 1548, there were hundreds of mills operated by oxen and mules or waterwheels (force of the water or wind) and slaves. The industry of elaboration of honeys in muscovado sugar (cooked in large pots) was in the hands of small farmers and the price at which they sold the hogsheads (14 quintals per hogshead or barrel) depended in large part of the market or the vagaries of the Spanish Crown. Trapiches disappeared to from 1873, after the abolition of slavery.

The first plants or factories equipped with machinery that were moved with the force of steam were set between 1873 and 1876. The guarapo was cooked in pans in the vacuum and the crystals of sugar separated the centrifuges of honeys. This machinery required a large capital investment, and was purchased in France and Scotland. The first modern center was founded by Mr. Leonardo Igaravidez in Vega Baja, followed the colossus of Emilio Vadi in Aguada , and central Luisa ( Maunabo ), and San Felipe ( Naguabo ).

At the be the transfer of sovereignty in 1898, the industry grew with further investment from the United States. The force of the steam was transformed into electricity in the turbines. From then until spring 2000, when Coloso closed after the last harvest, sugarcane was the most important crop in the island of Puerto Rico (Wagenheim and Jiménez 59). The industry grew at the beginning of the century XX to then sink to the bottom in the decade of the 40, in the struggle with prices lower than the market, a force low , the cost high of transportation , the need for the irrigation and fertilizers or fee assigned by the United States to Puerto Rico. In 1936 there were approximately 43 plants operating under a quota of 909,445 net tons (2,000 pounds). This was established by the Jones-Costigan Act, which allowed Puerto Rico to ship its raw materials to the United States without customs charges. Thirty- four plants ceased their operations between 1942 and 1977. However, some survived for yet another decade, while Cambalache (Arecibo) and Guanica (Ensenada) closed in 1981.

The settlers or farmers who planted the cane and sent to the plant to become in sugar, rarely ever received the amount of money that would help to get out of debt for the renovation or loans on the harvest. Most of the brown sugar and honeys were shipped to refineries on the East Coast, but in the middle of the century Guánica, Mercedita , Igualdad , and Roig had machinery to refine some of the sugar (Ayala and Bernabe 103) . At the end of World War II, the workers abandoned the countryside for better jobs in the US, and the settlers gradually abandoned the cultivation of sugarcane plantations. José R. Abad noted in 1882 that the owners committed an error on trying to acquire the land and invest all their equity in the purchase of machinery that were more powerful and therefore eliminating the cultivation of other fruits to possibly redistribute the wealth of the country in such a way that would affect for always the welfare office of the Island.

Works Cited

Ayala, César J., and Rafael Bernabe. Puerto Rico in the American century: A history since             1898. Univ of North Carolina Press, 2009.

De Wagenheim, Olga Jimenez. Puerto Rico: an interpretive history from pre-Columbian    times to 1900. Markus Wiener Pub, 1998.

Figueroa, Luis A. Sugar, slavery, and freedom in nineteenth-century Puerto Rico. Univ of North Carolina Press, 2006.

McCaffrey, McCaffrey Katherine. “Rescuing Forgotten Voices: An Interview with Olga Jiménez de Wagenheim Katherine.” http://www.80grados.net/rescuing-forgotten-         voices-an-interview-with-olga-jimenez-de-wagenheim/. Accessed 4 May 2020.

Wagenheim, Kal, and Olga Jiménez de Wagenheim, eds. The Puerto Ricans: a documentary         history. Markus Wiener Publishers, 2008.