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Category: Spanish American War

  • A Trip to Old San Juan

    My family and I just spent a week in Isabela, Puerto Rico visiting family there. While most of the week was spent visiting beautiful local beaches and going on local adventures, we did make the 2 hour drive to Old San Juan. I personally had never been to San Juan like my wife had, so I was excited to visit for the first time. The two main sites that we visited there were two historic forts, the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, and the Castillo San Cristobal. Both forts are just a 10 minute walk from one another. Also, if you buy a $10 entry fee for one fort, you get free access to the other if you go by the next day. The kids were free.

    Historical Background

    Puerto Rico was the home to the Taino people for hundreds of years before European arrival. Christopher Columbus and his men landed in Puerto Rico in 1493 on Columbus’s second voyage. He had originally named the island, San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). It wasn’t until 1508, that Spanish explorer and Conquistador, Juan Ponce de Leon named the island Puerto Rico, “rich port” after exploring the San Juan Bay. The Spanish then established a colony in the region and Ponce de Leon became the governor. Resentment over cruel treatments by Spanish colonizers led to a revolt by the Taino people. The Spanish brutally crushed the revolt and the Spanish built fortified houses.

    By the 1530s, the Spanish had new threats from English, Dutch and French privateers seeking to capitalize on Spain’s new found riches. Early in the 1500s, Spain became extremely wealthy from silver and gold coming from their holdings in the New World, particularly in Central and South America.

    At this time, Spain claimed the entire Caribbean basin. Besides gold and silver, large quantities of spices and exotic wood added to the wealth of Spain. As a protected harbor at the entrance of the Carribean, San Juan became an important part of Spain’s strategy to protect their American holdings from European competitors.

    Castillo San Felipe del Morro

    In order to protect the entrance of San Juan Bay from outside intruders, a fort was built in the northwest corner of Old San Juan, called Castillo San Felipe del Morro. This was the first fort that my family and I visited when we arrived at Old San Juan (Pictures below). The construction of the citadel and surrounding walls commenced in 1539 on the orders of King Charles V of Spain. At first, just a proto-fortress was erected while the rest was being built. It was not until 1587 that the fort’s final design was drawn, and arduous labor took years to develop the six level fort. “El Morro” as it came to be called, would go on to become the most feared fort in all of Spain’s colonial fortifications. On the opposite entrance of San Juan Bay, another smaller fort was built called El Canuelo to complement El Morro with defense of the bay.

    In 1595, Englishman, Sir Francis Drake, and his navy, unsuccesfully attacked San Juan. He was not able to stand against El Morro and withdrew at the Battle of San Juan (1595).

    Another English attack came in 1598, this time by land. The attack by the English was successful as this was the only time in El Morro’s history that a foreign invader was able to take control of the fort. However, just after a few months, the Enligsh troops suffered from an outbreak of dysentary and they were forced to withdraw.

    The next time that the El Morro was attacked was in 1625 by the Dutch. El Morro was able to resist the siege and the Dutch were forced to withdraw. However, before leaving the city, the Dutch attackers sacked and burned San Juan.

    These attacks convinced the Spaniards to expand their forticactions, and protect San Juan by land. Construction of the city walls surrounding San Juan began in 1634, and by 1650, the town was enclosed on the east, west and south, while natural battlements protected the city along the Atlantic to the north. Another fort, Castillo San Cristobal was also built to protect land invasions. (Castillo San Cristobal will be discussed below as this was the second fort that we visited.)

    The sheer intimidation of El Morro kept invaders at bay and it was not until 1797 that the British attacked El Morro again. The British invaded Puerto Rico but were defeated at the Battle of San Juan (1797), again thanks to the impregnable defenses at El Morro.

    During the Spanish-American War, El Morro was attacked by a naval bombardment by the United States Navy in 1898. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris (1898) and Spain was forced to cede ownership of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guam, and the Phillippines to the United States. A lighthouse was replaced and built by the U.S. Army from 1906- 1908 and serves as the highest point of El Morro, standing 180 feet above sea level.

    El Morro served as an active U.S. military base during the World Wars. However, after serving its purpose for over 400 years, it was obvious after WW2, that the fort had become obsolete. After 1949, San Juan National Historic Site was established and El Morro became the first section of San Juan’s fortifications to be operated by the National Park Service in Puerto Rico.

    El Morro was the first site that I saw in Old San Juan with my family. I was first stunned by the sheer size of the fort, as well as the long walkway to the front entrance. Green grass on both sides angle down to the ocean. It truly was remarkable to walk through the rooms of the fort and see the ingenuity of its construction. Since the fort is so massive, you will spend time going from room to room and level to level. The Park Service does a great job providing information about the role and purpose of each room and provides the history of the Spanish presence in the Caribbean, the strategic importance of San Juan, and the history of the fort. After we had explored the entire fort, my family ventured off to lunch.

    My daughter really wanted to see the umbrellas that we thought hang from the streets in San Juan but after searching for them for a while, we discovered that the umbrellas were taken down and replaced with bells shown in the picture.

    After the slight dissapointment with the lack of colorful umbrellas, my family and I ventured over to Castillo San Cristobal. (My children were troopers because by this point, they were very hot and sweaty but there was no whining or complaining).

    Castillo San Cristobal

    After the devastating attacks by the English and the Dutch, the Spanish expanded its fortifications in San Juan. Besides building city walls, they also built Castillo San Cristobal, considered the largest fort in the Americas, to protect from land attacks. Construction started in 1634. A fortification with three levels, and an extensive series of outer defenses, it took about 150 years to build. When it was finally completed in 1783, it covered 27 acres of land and partly encircled the city of San Juan. In 1897, part of the fort was demolished to ease traffic coming in and out of the city through the city gate. About 1/3 of the fort was destroyed.

    San Cristobal was built with a dry moat (like El Morro) and a series of tunnels to protect soldiers from enemy attacks. My family and I had the opportunity to walk through the longest hidden tunnel that led from the main plaza to an outside section of the fort. My children were brave enough to walk through the dimly lit tunnel.

    The main plaza of San Cristobal was the heart of the fort. Here, soldiers drilled, were inspected and assembled for formal events. Artillery ramps allowed access to the main firing battery on the dry moat. The fort was designed to catch and retain as much rainwater as possible and the cisterns below held up to 870,000 gallons of water. The cisterns are still functioning today.

    Like El Morro, San Cristobal is yet another stunning place to visit because it reflects the power and ingenuity of the Spanish who built it. Such expansive forts remind you of the times they were built, a time when pirates roamed the Caribbean, and when protection was a necessity. The Spanish had built up a tremendous empire, but there were constant threats from their rivals, primarily the French, English, and Dutch. The fortifications built on San Juan were not just to show the might of the empire, but were for the practical purpose of repelling invaders who saw the strategic value of controlling San Juan, and the island of Puerto Rico. The Spanish swelled themselves with gold and silver from the Americas, and San Juan served as a gateway to refuel and restock goods to trade with the rest of the Carribbean and to Central and South America, as well as back to Europe. It’s truly remarkable that Spain was able to retain its hold on San Juan and Puerto Rico for the centuries that it did. This was thanks to their network of fortifications including El Morro and San Cristobal.

    Besides visiting the forts I was also impressed by the old city streets in San Juan. The very narrow, cobblestone streets remind me of European cities that I’ve visited such as Barcelona, Spain or cities in Italy and France. And the bright colors of the buildings give San Juan a very unique and beautiful appeal. After San Cristobal, my family headed to the car and we made the 2 hour ride back to Isabela. I’d love to visit San Juan again soon and visit sites that we missed!

    References:

    https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

    https://vistas.ace.fordham.edu/themes/pre-columbian-images-03/

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  • Theodore Roosevelt: History Channel Documentary

    I just finished watching a great documentary minseries on the History Channel about Theodore Roosevelt. It was released in May 2022 and was the fourth documentary of its kind that has been released. I’ve seen Washington (2020), Grant (2020) and Lincoln (2022), and I enjoyed each of them. There is also a fifth documentary on Franklin Roosevelt that I plan to watch soon, which was just released this past May. Just like the previous three, the Teddy Roosevelt documentary was very well made. It is two episodes and each are 2.5 hours. Teddy Roosevelt is played by actor Rufus Jones, and I thought he did a very accurate portrayal of Teddy. The documentary cuts back and forth between well-known historians, discussing the life of Roosevelt, and then cuts to the events of his life as a drama. The documentary does a great job adding suspense to many of the key events of his life. You are often left with a cliffhanger right before a commerical break that makes you want to know what happens next. It does help that TR was such a fascinating and accomplished person.

    There truly is no other person like Teddy Roosevelt. He was tough as nails and he accomplished so much throughout his life. As a child, he was sickly and he had frequent asthma attacks. His parents feared he would die young and often kept him inside. The fact that he went on to accomplish everything that he did is truly miraculous.

    He attended Harvard and broke into politics at a young age. His father was a successful businessman and philanthropist, and so Teddy grew up with wealth and privilege. However, just as he was getting into politics, he had to deal with many tragic events in his life. Teddy lost his father when he was 19. At the age of 25, he lost his first wife just after childbirth and he also lost his mother on the same day. To deal with these tragedies, Teddy went out west in the Dakota Territory. He lived off the land in the Wild West for 2 years before heading back East. Teddy became a successful politician but always went against the grain and did what he thought was right. Many within his own Republican party believed he was too progressive. He re-married and had a large family. He served in the federal government in his 30s, working for the Civil Service Commission for six years.

    Roosevelt later became the Commisioner of the NYC police department, and he cleaned up the corruption that was running rampant before his arrival. The Chief of Police was forced to resign and Teddy set up the first Police Academy. In 1898, President William McKinley appointed Roosevelt the job of assistant secretary of the Navy. Teddy wanted to build up the Navy and cement the United States’ position as a world power. He advocated for war against Spain at the start of the Spanish-American War, and personally led the Rough Riders in an assault on San Juan Hill in Cuba. Teddy had bullets wizzing past his head and was lucky to have survived.

    After he served in the Spanish-American War, TR went on to become the governor of New York. Because of his push for reforms, many of the corrupt party bosses in the Republican Party did not support TR. Roosevelt always pushed for laws that would help the common man, and he was always trying to give every person an equal chance. Roosevelt governed with a sense of urgency and had to work hard to accomplish his goals.

    When President McKinley ran in 1900 for re-election, Teddy Roosevelt was his running mate. McKinley won re-election but Teddy felt limited in his role as Vice-President. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901, TR became the youngest president in our nation’s history, at age 42.

    It’s truly amazing what TR was able to accomplish in his time as President. He took on challenges that no prior President had taken on. He tried to crush monopolies and he took on the robber barons (J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and others). He personally mediated between coal strikers and business owners, finally landing a deal after a long and painful strike. TR set up a commsion to investiage and regulate big business. He wanted to make sure these big businesses were playing by the rules. Teddy always used the media to his advantage. He got on their good side and knew how to twist a story or argument in his favor. He used the media to get the public on his side, and it worked.

    TR wanted the United States to have an influence on a global scale. He oversaw the deal that allowed the United States to build the Panama Canal. He knew the canal would benefit the U.S. both militarily and economically, as it would cut down the time and costs needed to transport goods.

    TR had such a successful first term, that he won the 1904 election in a landslide. He took on the Meatpacking Industry after it was revealed that the factories used for producing meat were absolutely disgusting and the meat used was putrid (first revealed in the novel, The Jungle). TR believed that it was his job to represent the public interest, and that was his motivation throughout his public career. TR is also known for his preservation of natural resources, and setting aside land for reserves. He saved 230 million acres of land which became public land/ national parks.

    After his term, TR decided not to run in the 1908 election and chose William Howard Taft as his successor. Taft won the election, and TR believed that he would continue his agenda. However, Taft did not follow through on many of TR’s policies, and TR felt betrayed. There was a growing rift between the two men, who had previously been friends. TR decided to run in the 1912 election under the Progressive Party banner (also became known as the Bull Moose Party). However, Republicans split the votes between Taft and TR, handing the election to Democrat, Woodrow Wilson.

    While TR was campaigning in October 1912, he was shot in the chest in an attempted assassination outside his hotel. His aides urged him to be rushed to the hospital, but since Teddy was not coughing up blood, he claimed he was fine. He was asked to be taken to his campaign speech, where he gave an 84 minute speech while bleeding from his chest. He started the speech by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”

    The documentary goes into TR’s later life after his Presidency. After dealing with his loss in the 1912 election, he went on a wild trip in Brazil down an unexplored river, where he suffered from malaria and a serious leg wound. He recovered and made it back home, but in ill health. The documentary goes into his stance on WW1, and his sons who fought and were either wounded or killed in the war.

    One of the reasons that I love history is because I believe that historical characters and events are just as, if not more entertaining than anything any fictional writer/ author could come up with. This documentary on TR is the perfect example of this. TR is a true American hero who accomplished so much and is such a fascinating character. He fought for the common man and wanted to give everyone a “Square Deal.” Even though he was born into wealth, he was extremely tough, wanted to defend his country, and was dedicated to helping the poor. He connected with the common man in a way that few if any presidents have and he was a celebrity in his day. He also campaigned and toured the country like no other previous president. Besides risking his life in the Spanish-American War, he also asked President Wilson for a commision to lead troops in WW1 but was turned down. He was in his late fifties by that time. TR had goals in mind that he wanted to accomplish, and he worked relentlessly to achieve them. He felt a moral obligation to do what was right, even when powerful forces were pushing against him. He was seen as very progressive for his time, espcially later in his career. He fought for land/pensions for returning soldiers, and wanted to give women the vote. Many of his ideas were accomplished later in history. He truly was a remarkable person and always needs to be ranked amongst the most successful and accomplished presidents. Make sure you watch this documentary. You either have to find it when the History Channel is playing it for free (Which I happened to do) or you can find it on different streaming services such as Amzon, Apple TV, History Vault, or Google Play.

    I’ll end this post with a great quote from the man himself:

    “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

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