The Road to Nationhood in the Spanish Antilles

Abstract

The paper sets out to contrast the historical and economic differences between Cuba and Puerto Rica in the Antilles. Though both began by enjoying an ecologically balanced cattle-breeding and forestry economy, we are told that they underwent a radical change in 18` h C. with the shift to vast single crop sugar or tobacco plantations, though this is here seen to have been less drastic in Puerto Rico. The opening up of the nobility and military or political careers to the Creole population is said to have opened the gates to local claims as within the relatively autonomous political frameworks of these island's governments, claims that were given short shrift. The abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico (1873) and Cuba (1886) in the wake of United States ' post-bellum decision to do so worsened still more the lot of the emergent Creole middle classes but their plight was ignored by the metropolitan government. The first or ten year war of Cuban independence led to a pact by which the Cuban's were granted a series of constitutional liberties and seats for Cubans in the Spanish Parliament but these concessions came too late and did nothing to assuage the drive towards self-determination. Puerto Rico was granted these same privileges in 1897 just before the Spanish- American War. This war 's end found society on both islands not only changed, but much galvanised.