The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people before 430 BC. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taíno people's numbers went dangerously low during the later half of the 16th century because of new infectious diseases carried by Europeans, exploitation by Spanish settlers, and warfare.
Taíno village at Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Christopher Columbus, the explorer credited with the European discovery of Puerto Rico.
Juan Ponce de León (Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain), was the first governor of Puerto Rico. His grandson Juan Ponce de Leon II was the first indigenous governor of Puerto Rico.
View across the Bay of San Juan of Fort San Felipe del Morro.
Caguas is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was founded in 1775. The municipality had a population of 127,244 at the 2020 census.
Image: Catedral Dulce Nombre de Jesus Caguas Puerto Rico
Image: Casa Alcaldia Caguas Puerto Rico
Image: Caguas view from San Luis Alto CUT
Postcard from 1912 showing a typical street in Caguas at the beginning of the 20th century.
