Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico (1508)

Name: Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico (1508)
Start: 1508
End: 1509

Type Event Region Caribbean Time 1508–1509

In 1508, Juan Ponce de León, appointed by Governor Nicolás de Ovando, led an expedition to Puerto Rico and founded Caparra, becoming the island's fir…

Timeline

1508Northern coast of Puerto Rico · Puerto RicoJuan Ponce de León, under Governor Ovando's orders, crossed by sea from Hispaniola to Puerto Rico, conquering local Taino tribes; Spain named the entire island San Juan Bautista.
1508–1509Caparra · Puerto RicoThe Spanish established the capital Caparra on the north coast, implementing the encomienda and tribute systems, mining small amounts of gold and forcing Taino labor; Puerto Rico became an important forward base for Spanish expansion in the Caribbean.

Sources

Puerto Rico https://www.britannica.com/place/Puerto-Rico