The Tainos were the natives that resided in the Greater Antilles composed of what are now Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Bahamas and Puerto Rico, at the arrival of the Spaniards.  They were related to the Arawaks and the Lokonos, tribes of South America.  Their enemies were the Caribes and the Ciboney, although they made treaties with the Ciboney for protection against the Caribes.
Society was composed of four classes: Naborias (common people), the Nitaino (sub-chief), the Bohique (priest) and the Cacique (great chief).

These indigenous people lived in “yucaueques” (villages), where the “bohios” (huts) surrounded a common area called the “batey” (open plaza), where they held ceremonies, games and festivals.  The “batu”, for example, was a ceremony that offered entertainment and helped resolve conflicts among communities.

The houses or huts were round, made out of wood and palm leaves.  The chief and his family lived in a “caney” or rectangular hut with similar construction, but with a porch.  The only furniture were a hammock, beds made out of palm leaves, a “dujo” (wooden chair), and platforms or cradles for babies.

Clothing was simple, short skirts for men and “naguas” (longer skirt) for married women.  The Tainos adorned their bodies with dyes, seashells, stones, bones and, sometimes, golden jewelry.

Men and women practiced polygamy and they could have more than one spouse.  The chief used to have 30 wives.

Taino natives were mostly farmers but they also fished with wooden lancets and hunted with bows and arrows, so their diet was vegetables, fish and meat.  The farm area was called “conuco”, composed of earth mounds surrounded by leaves to prevent erosion.  . They used the “coa” , a hoe made out of wood, and their main drop was yucca but they also grew corn, squatch, beans, peppers, sweet potato, ñame, peanuts and tobacco.  They also prepared alcohol from corn.

They used cotton, “cañamo” (hem rope) and palm trees as prime material and they made “Kanoas” (canoes) by hollowing tree trunks.  These canoes could accommodate between two and 150 people and they could sail as far away as South and Central America, where they engaged in commercial exchange with the Mayas, the Incas and the Azthecs.  They were also able to reach Florida.

In their battles they used “macanas”, wooden sticks about one inch thick.

The Tainos respected all forms of life and they honored their ancestors and gods and had thanksgiving rituals.

The gods were called “Cemis” an were represented by grogs, tortoises, reptiles, alligators and some abstract figures of human faces.  In their ceremonies they used to do a ritual cleansing and sort of a “communion” where they shared cassava (yucca bread), starting with the “Cemi”, then the great chief and finally, the common people.  These ceremonies included the “areyto” (ceremonial dance), accompanied by singing and musical instruments such as the “maracas” (rattles) the “guiro” (instrument made of squash).

The main god was Yucahú and the mother of the gods was Atabey (spirit of the waters).  Huracan was the evil god and the spirit of the storms.  Boinayel was the god of rain and the sun and Guataubá was the messenger.  Opiyelguabirán was a god resembling a dog and Maketaori Guayaba was the god of darkness.  Dominán Caracaracol was the god that caused the global deluge.  The tainos believed that, when souls went to the darkness, they rested during the day but assumed the form of bats at night to eat the fruit of the “guayaba” (guava).  Some of the rituals performed in the Vudu religion have their origins in the Tainos religion.

The number of Tainos in the Caribbean at the arrival of Europeans has not been established, as some say it was around 60,000 and others over 100,000.  What is really certain is that this peaceful people were treated with cruelty and driven to almost total extinction due to the ambition of the greedy “conquistadores”.  Today, many inhabitants of the island claim to be descendants of these tribes, specially Puerto Ricans. They claim with pride their right to be recognized as a nation, establishing organizations that fight for this right such as the Confederación Unida del Pueblo Taino and the NaciónTribal Jatibonicu Taino de Borikén.

It has been confirmed that Puerto Ricans have a large amount of Taino DNA in their blood.  Some newly discovered archeological sites suggest that the Tainos tribes lasted longer than previously thought after the Spanish invasion.  These findings will help those who claim to be descendants of a culture that left a legacy of hospitality, peacefulness and solidarity.

On September 25, 1493, Cristóbal Colón left the Port of Cádiz in his ship “La Santa María de Galante” with another 17 ships and 1,500 men in his second voyage to America.  His crew was composed of adventurers, artisans, priests,farmers and soldiers.  The objective, explore, colonize, convert to Christianism and exploit golden mines. The island of Puerto Rico was discovered on November 19, 1493.  Cristóbal Colón called the island “San Juan Bautista”.  At that moment the tainos and the naborias lived in Borikén (named of the island), that means crabs island.  The tainos believed the Sspaniards were gods and Aguebaná (chief of the tainos), helped the Spaniards explore the  island and their boundaries.

Puerto Rico’s colonization  began when Juan Ponce de León arrived 15 years later in 1508  Juan Ponce de León was the first governor of the island and established his residence in Caparra.  He was dismissed from his post in 1511. However, the Spaniards subdued the natives to hard work in agriculture and explotation of gold mines.  They forced the Tainos to abandon their villages and live in parcels.  The cultural clash, the religious imposition, the change of diet and the hard work almost finished with the natives.  Some of them died because of diseases brought by the Spaniards, such as measles and smallpox; others died in battles and many committed suicide.  Because of this the Spaniards brought African slaves. As early as 1514, enslaved Tainos and Africans in Puerto Rico joined forces in revolt against slavery.  By 1848 more than twenty revolts had occurred.  Cimarrones (fugitive slaves) planned individual escapes and collective revolts.  Many cimarrones would escape to the remote mountains of the island or even other Caribbean or Central or South American lands, where they formed free communities.  Some of their descendants survive to this day, especially along the Atlantic Coast of Central and South America.  Others were killed in heroic attempts to obtain their freedom.

Throughout the 365 years of slavery in Puerto Rico, there was also a large population of free Puerto Ricans of African descent.  In addition to revolting or escaping, slaves could also negotiate to buy their freedom and that of their families.  Most free Puerto Ricans of African descent, as well as mulatos or mestizos, worked in a variety of occupations such as agriculture or domestic labor, or as artisans, merchants, or ship hands.  Many continued the struggle against slavery and racism, becoming abolitionists and freedom fighters.

On September 23, 1868 "El Grito de Lares" or The Cry of Lares, a rebel force made up of hundreds of brave men bearing guns, knives and machetes took over the town of Lares and proclaimed the Republic of Puerto Rico.  Unfortunately for the rebels, the Spanish government had received inside information about the rebel's plans and troops were sent in to stop the revolt before any other towns were taken.  The revolutionaries finally were hunt down, imprisoned and many were slained. Leaders of the Puerto Rican abolitionist movement waged a long struggle to end slavery on the island.  On March 22, 1873, the Spanish National Assembly finally abolished slavery in Puerto Rico.  The slaves’ owners were compensated with 35 million pesetas per slave, and slaves were required to continue working for three more years.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Puerto Ricans were a distinct people, aspiring to achieve independence from Spanish rule and establish their own nation. By royal decree, autonomy was granted to Puerto Rico on November 28, 1897.  General elections were held in March and on July 17, 1898 Puerto Rico's autonomous government began to function, but not for long.

The Spanish American War started in April of 1898 and Puerto Rico was invaded by USA General Nelson A. Miles on July 25, 1898.  The Spanish forces soon retreated on October 18.  After 1898, a new colonial era entered the lives of the Puerto Rican people.  Puerto Rico was now ruled as a possession of the United States.  Puerto Rico's autonomous government was officially changed to an American military government and lasted for two years.  . General John Brooke became the first American governor of Puerto Rico.

Conflict between the people and their new rulers emerged first over language. The United States expected no resistance from the Puerto Ricans when it imposed English-only laws on the island but Puerto Rican intellectuals and “independentistas” (people who fought for Puerto Rican independence), resisted the replacement of the Spanish language with English. On May 1, 1900 the US government approved the Foraker Law, which changed the military government to a civil government.

In 1904, Luis Muñoz Rivera and José de Diego restructured the American Federal Party into the Partido Unionista de Puerto Rico (Unionist Party of Puerto Rico) with the intention of fighting against the colonial government established under the Foraker Act.  In 1906 the USA President, Theodore Roosevelt visited the island and recommended to Congress that Puerto Rican be made citizens.

The status quo was again altered in 1909 when the Foraker Act, due to weaknesses and a small crisis in Puerto Rico's government, was modified by the Olmsted Amendment, placed the supervision of Puerto Rican affairs in the jurisdiction of an executive department to be designated by the president.  Then the Partido Independentista (Independence Party) was founded; the first political party whose agenda was the independence of Puerto Rico.

On December 5, 1916 the Jones Act was approved and signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on March 2, 1917.  This Act divided the governmental powers into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial.  Only the members of the legislature were freely elected by the Puerto Rican people.  A bill of rights, which established elections to be held every four years, was also created.  This law also granted U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Ricans. The Act allowed conscription to be extended to the island, sending 20,000 Puerto Rican soldiers to the United States Army during the First World War.  The Act also made English the official language of Puerto Rican courts

On October 11, 1918, an earthquake occurred, accompanied by tsunami causing great damage and loss of life.

In the 1920s, the economy of Puerto Rico boomed. On September 17, 1922 a new political party, the “Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico” (Puerto Rican National Party) was founded.

In 1930s Pedro Albizu Campos led the “Partido Nacionalista” and increased the conflicts with the authorities. Members of this political party attacked Blandon Winship, the appointed Governor of Puerto Rico. 

On March 21, 1937, police opened fire at a parade of the Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Nationalist Party).  This came to be known as the "Ponce Massacre" because policemen and many civilians were killed and a hundred were wounded. On July 31, 1938, Pedro Albizu Campos and other Nationalists were sentenced to six to 10 years in federal prison.

In 1940, headed by Luis Muñoz Marin, the Popular Democratic Party was formed.  In 1946, dissidents from the Puerto Rico Independence Party claimed that the Popular Democratic Party was shifting away from the ideal of independence for Puerto Rico.  Also that same year Harry S. Truman appointed the first Puerto Rican governor, Jesus T. Piñeiro.  In 1947 the US Congress passed a bill which established that Puerto Ricans could vote every 4 years for governor of the island. In 1948 Luis Muñoz Marin became the first democratically elected governor.

On July 25, 1952 the "Estado Libre Asociado" or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was officially implemented and inaugurated by Governor Luis Muñoz Marin.  The Spanish language became again the official language of Puerto Rico.  The use of English continues to be required in some educational, governmental, and judicial functions.

During the years that Muñoz Marin was in power, he took on the task of developing Puerto Rico's economy into an industrial economy.  The infrastructure was improved through government agencies.  Tax breaks were offered to companies that would establish themselves on the island.  The governments of both Puerto Rico and the United States promoted a development strategy for the island known as "Operation Bootstrap", a plan to transform the island of Puerto Rico from an agricultural society to an industrial one.  As a result of a rapid industrialization, Puerto Rican agriculture has been greatly weakened and the island has stopped growing its own food.  This also provoked the movement of huge numbers of Puerto Ricans from rural to urban areas as they searched for work.  It also created an enormous migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States.

The Popular Democratic Party continued to govern until 1968, when a growing movement favoring statehood, the Partido Nuevo Progresista (Progressive New Party) won the governor's post.  The people of the island are mostly divided in two groups: those who favor statehood and those who favor the commonwealth.  The people who want the union with the United State of America think the status of the commonwealth is a colony and the people who want to keep its status think is Puerto Rico would loose its culture and language with statehood.  The people who fight for independence also believe that Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States.

Today, Puerto Rico remains a territorial possession of the United States and is subject to the judicial and legal system of the United States, and U.S. federal agencies implement federal laws and programs in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Ricans are loyal and great patriots by serving in all the war conflicts of the United States of America. 

However, despite their U.S. citizenship, Puerto Ricans still have an anomalous legal status - neither fully independent nor fully a part of the United States. Puerto Ricans on the island cannot vote for the president of the United States, but Puerto Ricans residing in the U.S. mainland can. Puerto Ricans on the island are exempt from federal taxes, but have a system of local taxes very similar to that of the U.S. mainland. A "Resident Commissioner" represents Puerto Rico in the U.S. House of Representatives but has no vote.

The political status of Puerto Rico continues to be a burning issue for all Puerto Ricans. The three political options are: Commonwealth, the current status; Statehood, Puerto Rico would become a state of the Union, and; Independence, Puerto Rico would become a sovereign nation, in control of its own affairs.

Puerto Ricans play a significant role and bring contributions to all aspects of the economic, political, social, professional, intellectual, artistic, and cultural life of the United States. The Puerto Rican culture, arts, traditions, literature, music, religion an folklore. are strong and have made pronounced contributions to the development of artistic expression in Latin America, among Latinos in the United States, and internationally.

Puerto Ricans have had many influences that left a great legacy in their language, music, dances, the food and many other things. The Puerto Ricans continue evolving culturally, nurturing their idiosyncrasy.