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A panoramic history of Puerto Rico from pre-Columbian times to today

Puerto Rico is a Spanish-speaking territory of the United States with a history shaped by conquest and resistance. For centuries, Puerto Ricans have crafted and negotiated complex ideas about nationhood. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo provides a new history of Puerto Rico that gives voice to the archipelago's people while offering a lens through which to understand the political, economic, and social challenges confronting them today.

In this masterful work of scholarship, Meléndez-Badillo sheds light on the vibrant cultures of the archipelago in the centuries before the arrival of Columbus and captures the full sweep of Puerto Rico's turbulent history in the centuries that followed, from the first indigenous insurrection against colonial rule in 1511--led by the powerful chieftain Agüeybaná II--to the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952. He deftly portrays the contemporary period and the intertwined though unequal histories of the archipelago and the continental United States.

Puerto Rico is an engaging, sometimes personal, and consistently surprising history of colonialism, revolt, and the creation of a national identity, offering new perspectives not only on Puerto Rico and the Caribbean but on the United States and the Atlantic world more broadly.

Available in Spanish from our partners at Grupo Planeta

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Prologue: "I Am Never Coming Back Here"(ix)
• 1 Boriké's First Peoples: From Migration to Insurrection(1)
• 2 Consolidating the Colonial Project(14)
• 3 Revolutionary Winds: From Reform to Revolution(28)
• 4 Imagining the Great Puerto Rican Family(43)
• 5 Chronicle of a War Foretold(59)
• 6 Foundations of U.S. Colonialism in Puerto Rico(73)
• 7 A Turbulent Decade(87)
• 8 The Populist Moment(104)
• 9 The Great Migration(118)
• 10 The Cold War and the New Push for Independence(133)
• 11 The Road to Collapse(150)
• 12 Broken Promises and Ongoing Resistance(164)
• 13 The Night Everything Went Silent(179)
• 14 The Storm after María(190)
• 15 Broken Memories and Future-Oriented Histories(203)
• Acknowledgments(219)
• Notes(223)
• Selected Thematic Bibliography(267)
• Index(273)

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Meléndez-Badillo (Latin American and Caribbean history, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; The Lettered Barriada) explores the history of his native Puerto Rico in a thorough, accessible exposition. Beginning with the archipelago's Indigenous Taíno people, back when Puerto Rico was called Borikén, the book traces a history of imperialism as the land was colonized by the Spanish and then by the United States. Puerto Rico's roughly two centuries under Spain's rule saw efforts at revolution, as elsewhere in Latin America. Like other colonial situations, foreign powers stripped natural resources from the land, impoverishing the Indigenous population. The archipelago was susceptible to hurricanes, and Meléndez-Badillo illustrates how its infrastructure was allowed to deteriorate in modern times, which led to devastation during 2017's Hurricane Maria. Writing with controlled but apparent anger, Meléndez-Badillo explains how Puerto Ricans have been denied the agency to address their deficient economy, which has fomented the populist demonstrations of today. He questions whether Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state or an independent nation, as the current situation is unsustainable. VERDICT Meléndez-Badillo does a good job of explaining Puerto Rico's complicated history. An essential addition to most libraries, for general readers of all types.--Caren Nichter

CHOICE Review

Meléndez-Badillo (Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison), author of The Lettered Barriada: Workers, Archival Power, and the Politics of Knowledge in Puerto Rico (CH, Oct'22, 60-0590), here delivers a sweeping history of Puerto Rico in a concise volume. He traces the island's precolonial roots through the immediate post--Hurricane Maria period. Meléndez-Badillo details major events that have impacted the often misunderstood story of the archipelago and its inhabitants. Central to this account is the quest for national identity. The author's clear advocacy for the people of Puerto Rico intersperses the historical account with a personal and passionate thread. The work is well crafted and well written, making for an easy read. The book covers a lot of ground but still manages to focus on primary areas of interest, such as the long struggle for independence and complicated colonial relationships. This is an excellent work for a general course on the Caribbean or a more focused study on Puerto Rico, or even US-Latin American relations. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals. --Melvin Duane Davis, Coastal Carolina University

Booklist Review

Meléndez-Badillo expresses his fervent wish--"May Puerto Rico be free soon, and forever." This sentiment is like a fire that burns throughout this history of Puerto Rico. Meléndez-Badillo's fresh perspective illuminates the context and the ongoing challenges that the colony faces at this critical moment. Framing the narrative with his own family's story adds compelling insights into the island's history and the reasons for the inhabitants' toing and fro-ing throughout the years since the fateful encounter of 1492. Meticulously referenced with notes, an annotated bibliography, and a comprehensive index, this much-needed and clarifying overview is rich in maps, illustrations, and images that add depth and texture. Meléndez-Badillo finds hope for a brighter future in Puerto Ricans themselves, especially in emerging leaders from a younger generation inspired by the "collective rage" in Bad Bunny's song, "El Apagon." A solid title for all collections.

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Jorell Meléndez-Badillo is assistant professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of The Lettered Barriada: Workers, Archival Power, and the Politics of Knowledge in Puerto Rico . He collaborated on Debí Tirar Más Fotos , the sixth solo studio album of Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, writing the notes for the historical slides that accompany each track of the album.