El Morro Puerto Rico
National Park Service - San Juan National Historic Site
Welcome to Castillo de San Felipe del Morro Declared a World Heritage elite by the United Nations in 1933. El Morro is Puerto Rico's best known fortress. Spanish troops fortified this 'morro'. which means 'promontory', to keep seaborne enemies out of San Juan. Today this dramatic castle welcomes multitudes of arriving cruise ships and aircraft to the bussiest port in the Caribbean. Over two million visitors a year explore theme windswept ramparts and pageways, where the history of 400 years of Spain in Puerto Rico comes alive. ... [Read More]
The Forts of Old San Juan: Guardians of the Caribbean
1. El Morro ... 2. El Morro and the western part of San Juan ... Lessons on Related Topics ... [Read More]
Puerto Rico
In 1521, concerned about threats from European enemies, Spain beganconstructing massive defenses around the city of San Juan. The strengthening ofEl Morro, San Cristóbal, and San Gerónimo forts as well as the city walls werethe stronghold elements of these successful defenses. Sugar became Puerto Rico'smost important agricultural product, helping establish a thriving economy. Itwas a very important growth factor for the island because, in 1570, its goldmines were declared depleted. During the 1600s, Puerto Rico's settlementsexpanded with the establishment of such areas as Arecibo, San Blas de Illescas(later renamed Coamo), and Ponce. ... [Read More]
San Juan National Historic Site (National Park Service)
El Sitio Histórico Nacional de San Juan incluye los fuertes San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, y San Juan de la Cruz (o el Cañuelo), bastiones, polvorines, y tres cuartas partes de la muralla. Todas estas estructuras son parte de las fortificaciones defencivas que rodean la parte vieja colonial de San Juan Puerto Rico. El fuerte el Cañuelo esta localizado en Isla de Cabras al lado oeste de la entrada de la bahia de San Juan. ... San Juan National Historic Site includes forts San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz also called El Cañuelo, plus bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the city wall. All these defensive fortifications surround the old, colonial portion of San Juan, Puerto Rico. El Cañuelo Fort is located at Isla de Cabras at the western end of the entrance to San Juan Bay. ... [Read More]
National Park Service - San Juan National Historic Site
The small fort of San Juan de la Cruz, better known today as El Cañuelo, was the smallest component of the harbor defense system, built on a tiny islet.The cannon at El Cañuelo helped El Morro block the harbor entrance with a deadly crossfire. This little square redoubt also watched the mouth of the Bayamón River, an important passageway for supplies from the interior of Puerto Rico. At one time, an enormous chain was kept ready to be stretched between El Cañuelo and El Morro in order to physically barricade the channel. First built of wood, El Cañuelo was in the thick of the fighting during the 1625 Dutch attack, and burned to ashes. A new stone fort was built by the Spaniards in the 1670's. ... [Read More]
Today in History: October 18
Puerto Rico was subjected to frequent raids by the Carib Indians and, later, by French, British, and Dutch pirates. In 1533, the Spanish began construction of El Morro , a walled fort that would protect the narrow entrance to the harbor of San Juan. ... On October 18 , 1898, American troops fighting the Spanish-American War raised the United States flag in Puerto Rico formalizing U.S. control of the former Spanish colony. General Nelson A. Miles had landed approximately 3500 U.S. forces on the island in July. Having encountered little resistance, he secured the island on August 12. ... [Read More]
National Park Service - San Juan National Historic Site
Fort San Cristóbal | El Morro | City Walls | Cañuelo ... 1855 - Mutiny by the San Cristobal artillery brigade against the Spanish crown. The castle is held by rebels for 24 hourscausing panic in the city when the cannon are turned around and aimed at the city streets. ... 1539 - Construction of the first fortified defenses at El Morro and La Fortaleza, with batteries aimed at theharbor entrance. ... [Read More]
National Park Service - San Juan National Historic Site
1595 - Sir Francis Drake ataca el Morrosin ningún éxito. Artilleros del Morrolograron hacer blanco en la cabina del navíoalmirante utilizada por Drake. ... 1942 - El Morro sigue siendo Utilizado por los EEUU como un fuerte militar activo. Al comenzar la Segunda Guerra Mundial se construyen en El Morro un puesto de observación y un cuarto subterráneo para ser utilizado por el ejército. ... Bienvenidos al Castillo de San Felipe del Morro reconocido por la UNESCO en 1983 como Patrimonio Mundial. Este castillo fue construido por los españoles para defender la entrada de la bahía de San Juan. Hoy en día El Morro le da la bienvenida a todo barco o crucero que entra a la bahía de San Juan y al mismo tiempo recibe la visita de más de dos millones de visitantes al año que vienen para descubrir sus encantos. ... [Read More]
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2004--National Register of Historic Places, NPS
Itineraries are self-guided tours to National Parks and other historic places. Each includes detailed maps, tourist information, location information, and color photographs. Five of the earliest itineraries highlighted Hispanic American historic places, which are now also available online. Travel virtually to: ... The National Register of Historic Places is pleased to help foster the general public's awareness, understanding, and appreciation for Hispanic culture during National Hispanic Heritage Month. As part of the celebration, this site highlights various publications , properties listed in the National Register , and National Parks that deal directly with the ingenuity, creativity, cultural, and political experiences of Hispanic Americans. Join the National Register of Historic Places in recognizing and exploring the achievements of a people that have contributed so much to American culture. ... [Read More]
Equal Justice Magazine - Feature
Yet amidst the vibrant colored picture of the island’s most marketable attributes is a darker reality. Traveling inland into the modest communities where most natives reside reveals a more sobering picture: that of a people struggling with the day-to-day problems of poverty. Despite the rambunctious demeanor of a citizenry always ready for a festival (there are more than 500 a year here), life on the island is no tropical paradise for many of Puerto Rico’s 3.8 million inhabitants. Forty-five percent, or roughly 1.8 million people, live at or below the poverty line. The unemployment rate, which has not dipped below double digits in this millennium, currently hovers above 11 percent. By some estimates, as many as 100,000 Puerto Ricans are homeless, living on the streets and in the island’s cramped shelters. The drastic change in scenery can be an eye-opener for tourists and the small, elite circle of island residents with the disposable income to buy expensive cars, high-end second homes ... [Read More]
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