Puerto Rican Forts

Puerto Rico - A brief history
First inhabitants-Indians/Igneri tribes/Taínos
Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1493, claiming it for Spain.
In 1508 Ponce de León founded the first settlement.
In 1898, it became a part of the United States as a result of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War, with US citizenship was granted to its inhabitants in 1917.
It became a self-governing U.S. commonwealth on July 25, 1952.
Everyone and their dog tried to claim it.

It needed to be fortified.

I can't even begin to tell you how steep this cannon ramp is.


Funny how their capitol building now seems to be at the end of this cannon!

How did these folks in the late 1500's build these walls so high? It is a huge place.



Boys will be boys!


There are forts all over the island. We visited a couple of them. I had one of my claustraphobia freak outs when we spent too long in one of the tunnels getting from one area to another. The big fort El Morro is the best known fort. It's obvious why they were able to defend themselves from invaders for so many years.

And that completes your history lesson for today. Thanks for attending class and being so well-mannered - except for you on the back row - and you know who you are.