Puerto Rico: Its History: Pre-1493 to the Present

This 1978 spoken word recording was developed to expose listeners, particularly Puerto Ricans living in the mainland United States, to the rich history and culture of Puerto Rico. The narrative is written and spoken by Dr. Robert A. Martinez. He begins with a description of the island’s geography, then turns to its history—from the indigenous Tainos to Christopher Columbus’ arrival in 1493 to the present. Included are Puerto Rico’s colonization by the Spanish, its transfer to the United States in 1898, and the United States’ conferral of commonwealth status on the island in 1952. Puerto Rico remains a commonwealth of the United States. Dr. Martinez also devotes chapters to the economy and especially the independence movement. The last quarter of the recording focuses on the folklore, art, literature, and musical culture of the island. A written text of the narrative accompanies the recording.

Track Listing

101	The Land	Robert Martinez	02:10
102	The Indians	Robert Martinez	01:45
103	The Spanish Conquerors	Robert Martinez	03:25
104	The Mining Economy	Robert Martinez	02:55
105	The Sugar Cycle	Robert Martinez	02:16
106	Decline of the Sugar Cycle (Mercantilism)	Robert Martinez	06:35
107	The Contraband Cycle	Robert Martinez	07:56
201	The Nineteenth Century	Robert Martinez	01:55
202	El Grito de Lares	Robert Martinez	01:02
203	The Move for Autonomy	Robert Martinez	02:11
204	The Twentieth Century: The U.S. Enters Puerto Rico	Robert Martinez	03:10
205	Luis Munoz Rivera	Robert Martinez	01:13
301	José Celso Barbosa	Robert Martinez	01:17
302	José de Diego	Robert Martinez	02:22
303	Pedro Albizu Campos	Robert Martinez	02:41
304	Toward Modernization: Luis Munoz Marin	Robert Martinez	08:56
305	Puerto Rican Culture: Art and Literature	Robert Martinez	02:45
401	Puerto Rican Folklore: Indian and African Aspects	Robert Martinez	02:08
402	The Puerto Rican and His Music	Robert Martinez	01:25
403	Twentieth Century Literary Expressions	Robert Martinez	01:29
404	Summary	Robert Martinez	02:10