Puerto Rico, also known as The Isle of Enchantment, is a melting pot of cultures. In Pre-Columbian times, the island was inhabited by the Taíno people. After the island became a Spanish colony in 1493, Europeans arrived and imported slaves from the western coasts of Africa. Then the island came under US ownership in 1898, beginning a new, complex relationship. Researching Puerto Rican ancestry will challenge your language skills and may present you with a brick wall or two. The island’s long and multifaceted history provides an invaluable lens through which you can understand Puerto Rican ancestry. This research guide will give you historical context and clues that will help you make the most out of your search.
The Taíno, an indigenous people of the Caribbean, inhabited Puerto Rico since as early as the seventh century. The Taíno name for Puerto Rico is Borikén or Borinquén, which is believed to mean “land of the valiant lords” and “island of crabs.” A “Boricua” is a person from Borinquén, and to this day many Puerto Ricans use that term to refer to themselves.
On his second trip to the Americas, Christopher Columbus stopped in Puerto Rico and claimed it in the name of Spain. The island was dubbed San Juan Bautista (for St. John the Baptist), and its main port called Puerto Rico (“rich port”). Over time, the names were exchanged so the island was named Puerto Rico and its capital, San Juan.
The number of Taíno in Puerto Rico in 1493 is still hotly debated. Estimates range anywhere from 30,000 to 600,000, but most scholars believe the population was closer to 50,000. The Spanish enslaved many Taíno, while others succumbed to smallpox and illnesses brought to Puerto Rico by the Spaniards. The population loss was thought to be so great that Taíno DNA went extinct, but recent DNA research has revealed present-day Puerto Ricans have a high percentage of Taíno genes.
As the number of Taíno decreased, Black slaves were brought in. Beginning in the early 1500s, thousands of slaves were brought to Puerto Rico from western Africa. Slaves were tasked with work in silver and gold mines, and (as the mining industry died down) slave labor was used on sugar cane plantations. Slavery peaked in the 1840s, before being abolished in 1873. Many coastal towns, such as Loíza, still exhibit a strong African influence through their festivals, food and music.
In 1898, at the end of Spanish-American war, Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States. Once the island became a US territory, Americans started moving to Puerto Rico. In return, beginning in the 1930s, a significant number of Puerto Ricans started moving to the United States.The majority of Puerto Rican people live in the San Juan area. Today, Puerto Rico has a governor and a non- voting representative in the US Congress, and Puerto Rican residents are US citizens.
SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
Being a Spanish colony for nearly 400 years left a permanent mark on Puerto Rico—and a wealth of documentation for those who lived there. The Spanish government has a historical records, and has made a small portion of them available online. Spain’s General Archive of the Indies (Archivo General de Indias) go as far back as the 1500s, and collects documents related to Spain’s overseas territories. Many of the records discuss taxes imposed on overseas territories, but the more interesting ones include travel permits, accounts of slaves freed prior to the 1873 abolition of slavery, and accounts of local events. The website and records are in Spanish; for a refresher on Spanish terms, take a look at Family Tree Magazine’s Spanish glossary .
Catholicism arrived with the Spanish in the 15th century, and it’s the religion with the largest number of fol- lowers on the island. Parish records can give researchers an opportunity to find ancestors in Puerto Rico as far back the 1700s. These records include baptism, death/burial and marriage information. Most of these records are found in large volumes with an index of contents in the beginning orend of the volume. In some cases, indexes are kept as separate documents, and may be the only portion remaining of a specific year. FamilySearch has digitized a large collection of Catholic parish registers (registros parroquiales) . Slaves were a major part of Puerto Rican labor for most of the time Spanish occupied the island. Two 19th-century slave censuses are freely available on FamilySearch: the 1867–1876 slave registry (“Registro de esclavos, 1867–1876”) and the 1872 Slave Schedule (“Registro central de esclavos, 1872”). Both of these are valuable tools for anyone looking to learn more about enslaved ancestors in Puerto Rico. The documents contain names, ages, parents’ names, marital statuses, physical descriptions and details about the enslavers.
In an effort to increase population and promote loyalty to Spain, the Spanish Crown approved the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 (Real Cédula de Gracias). This encouraged Spaniards (and, later, other Europeans) to emigrate to Puerto Rico. In the decades that followed, immigrants from England, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and many other European countries settled in the central mountains of Puerto Rico.The Family History Library contains several microfilmed records for foreign immigrants, and one online census: “Extranjeros (Foreigners in Puerto Rico), ca 1807–1880.”
Finally, an important remnant of Spanish influence exists in last names. In most Spanish speaking countries, people keep two last names: their paternal last name, followed by their maternal last name. In older censuses, you may see these two last names separated by y (meaning “and”). Additionally, married women don’t change their last names after marriage. In censuses, you may see a married woman’s name followed by de, followed and her husband’s last name. Complicated? Yes. But last names are an invaluable way to figure out someone’s ancestors, descendants and spouse. You can learn more about Spanish surnames through Family Tree Magazine.
1493 Christopher Columbus lands in Puerto Rico, dubbing it
San Juan Bautista and claiming it for Spain
1510s
1510s Spain authorizes the importation of African slaves to the Antilles
1539-1849
1539 Construction
begins on “Del Morro” citadel in San Juan; amendments continue for the next 200 years 1869 Manuel Alonso Pacheco publishes El Gíbaro, one of the first works to define Puerto Rican culture
1873-1898
1873 Slavery is abolished in Puerto Rico 1898 The United States wins the Spanish-American war and
acquires Puerto Rico
Composite: (4 Sheets) Soil map : Puerto Rico . by R.C Roberts. Published 1942. by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture . Bureau of Chemistry and Soils . Washington, D.C. (David Rumsey Map Collection)
Civil records were taken under both Spanish and US government, and all records are in Spanish. Both Ancestry.com and FamilySearch have civil registration indexes from 1885 (when registration began) through 2001. As noted earlier, church records begin much earlier, as far back as the 1600s for some municipalities. More-recent vital records can only be procured through the Registro Demográfi co (Demographic Register) in the commonwealth’s department of health. Only select individuals (generally, those involved in records and their heirs) can request records.
Puerto Rico was first enumerated by the United States for the War Department in 1899, following the Spanish-American War. This first census does not contain much information on individuals, but provides a look on the state of society when Americans arrived. Likewise, only US military installations were included in the 1900 federal census. Island residents have participated in the decennial census since 1910, as well as in a special 1935 social and population census. You can find digitized, indexed federal censuses on sites such as FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage.
Of special note is that some census responses were answered in Spanish, and digitizing software does not always account for multiple languages. A recurring example of this is that in some cases, the census field is misinterpreted. A census taken may have entered B for “Blanco” (white), but software interprets the B as for Black. The close relationship with the mainland United States created an influx of Puerto Ricans to the States, specifically New York. Many Puerto Ricans were in search of the American Dream, and sought it on the mainland. Some moved to the Chicago area, and others as far away as Hawaii, where the sugar industry was in full force. Ship and airplane manifests can help you find ancestors that suddenly disappeared from the island. Ancestry.com has one such collection: “Puerto Rico Passenger and Crew Lists, 1901–1962.”
Puerto Rican men—newly citizens—were drafted into World War I. Puerto Ricans have been part of every major engagement of the US armed forces since then, so look for your ancestors in US military records of 20th-century conflicts. WWI and WWII draft registration cards, for example, are available through FamilySearch and Ancestry.com, and contain key information on the draftee’s emergency contact and location of work, plus a physical description of him.
You may consider researching colonial military records as well. Some Spaniards arrived to the island while serving in the Spanish army; FamilySearch has online records of them from 1793 to 1800 (“Hojas de Servicios Militares de América: San Juan de Puerto Rico”).
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