Puerto Rico History

The Puerto Rico History (year-long) course introduces students to the culture and history of Puerto Rico by tracing the development of the Puerto Rico from the pre-Columbian era through the Spanish 'discovery', colonization, and eventual transfer to the United States. The course includes analysis of the contemporary Puerto Rican scene from a social, political, cultural and economic context. It will investigate the economic, political, and cultural history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Puerto Rico. This includes the history of the island as a colony of Spain and the United States, the relationship between economic modernization and cultural nationalism, and an analysis of the cycles of Puerto Rican migration. Students will be able to identify the origins and outcomes of pandemics, economic depression, technology, immigration and emigration on the island since European contact. They will also utilize accurate historical terminology and concepts in written and/or oral form in relation to the history of the island beginning with its initial settlement to its subsequent colonization by the Spaniards and finally its status as a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States. Course Note: This course is only offered at Antilles High School. This course fulfills the Social Studies Elective (.5) requirement.