Papo shares with the class about the history of the fort. The Castillo de San Cristobal is one of the oldest structures in the New World.
By Clint Sloan
The English were quickly approaching the city, hoping to catch the Spaniards by surprise. The group led by Sir Francis Drake was hungry for riches, which is why they those this point to attack. They landed and raided the fort, attacking every Spaniard in sight. The English ran down the tunnel of the fort, where the Spaniards detonated explosives; the English were pounded by tons of hard rock. The Spaniards kept control of the fort and captured many prisoners, throwing them into a closed room with a single hole so the prisoners would have air to keep them alive. This allowed them to stay alive to be punished in a place that could be easily described as hell, darkness. Total darkness.
This was a scene from a 1585 raid on the Castillo de San Cristobal in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to our tour guide whose nickname is "Papo" because of his outrageously long name, the Spanish built the fort in order to prevent those like Drake from terrorizing the Spanish colony. "Papo" knew quite a lot about Puerto Rican history because he is native to the island and he is also a professor at a Puerto Rican university. For instance, he explained that the fort was very important because it maintained Puerto Rico as a Spanish colony. Spain already had control of Jamaica and Cuba. By keeping Puerto Rico, it made a triangle of trade throughout the Caribbean Sea. This allowed Spain to have free control of the sea without the need to worry about enemies crossing their path.
The history "Papo" shared with the class was very beneficial in understanding why Puerto Rico is like it is today. Because it was under Spanish control for over 400 years, Spanish is the official language. But after the U.S. acquired the island in 1898, U.S. commercialism has a firm hand over the island. The experience at San Cristobal would be one I would never forget, a walk through the gates of Puerto Rican history.
Great narrative about this historical site. I feel as if I were there again after reading this.
ReplyDelete