Major General James G. Blunt

The Royal Cédula of Graces of 1815 (Spanish: Real Cédula de Gracias) is a royal cédula approved by the Spanish Crown in the early half of the 19th century to encourage Spaniards, and Europeans of non-Spanish origin but coming from countries in good standing with Spain, to settle in and populate Puerto Rico.

Royal Cédula of Graces

The King Charles III of Bourbon approved the Spanish Royal Cédula of Graces of 8 September 1777 in regard to the Captaincy General of Venezuela, and the Royal Cédula of Graces of 1789, which granted its subjects the right to purchase slaves and to participate in the flourishing business of slave trading in the Caribbean.

On 10 August 1815, King Ferdinand VII of Spain approved the Spanish Royal Cédula of Graces, which granted Puerto Rico the right to have commercial ties with countries which were in good standing with Spain. It also granted free land to many settlers, as well as incentives for investing money and providing technology for agricultural development to Spaniards willing to relocate and settle in those territories. ^[1]

Puerto Rico was largely undeveloped and underpopulated until 1830, when a great number of immigrants, many coming from the Spanish provinces of Catalonia, Majorca, the Canary Islands, and many non-Spanish settlers coming from countries in good standing with Spain, like Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and France, began to arrive to Puerto Rico. They gradually contributed developing commercial enterprises in Puerto Rico, mostly based on agricultural produce like sugarcane, coffee, and tobacco plantations, and on the use of African slave labor and free but needy sharecroppers, peons or jornaleros.^[2]

Situation in the Spanish Colonies

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Spanish colonies in the Western Hemisphere fought for their independence. In South America, Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín led colonists to victory against Spanish rule; in Mexico, José María Morelos led the movement.

By 1825, the Spanish Empire had lost control of all of its territories in the Americas with the exception of Puerto Rico and Cuba. However, Puerto Rico was already demanding liberal autonomy or internal self-government, similar to the Dominion of Canada, while Cuba was mostly experiencing surging and enthusiastic pro-independence movements. Trying to forestall the loss of these territories, the Spanish Crown revived the Royal Cédula of Graces of 1815. Spanish authorities printed the royal cédula in English and in French, as well as in Spanish, and distributed copies throughout Europe to attract loyal non-Spanish settlers, as well. However, and as it is shown in the published face page of the original Spanish Royal Cédula of Graces of 1815, the name of Puerto Rico was translated into English by the Spanish civil authorities overseeing its publication as Porto Rico. Nevertheless, the Crown also offered free land to many new settlers coming from countries in good standing with Spain but on the condition of swearing their loyalty to the Spanish Crown and allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church. In this way, the Spanish Crown hoped to supplant the pro-independence movements with new and loyal settlers. ^[2]

Situation in Europe

During the latter part of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, great economic and political changes occurred in Europe. Thousands of farm workers migrated to cities seeking industrial jobs and better opportunities. Those who stayed behind to attend the farmlands suffered the widespread crop failures, brought on by long periods of drought and diseases such as the potato fungus which contributed to the Great Famine of the 1840s. Cholera epidemics broke out and starvation was widespread in Europe.^[3] Social and economic disruption also followed the European Revolutions of 1848, which erupted in Sicily and the German states. The French Revolution of 1848 contributed to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and more changes.

These conditions led to a massive European immigration to the Americas. Hundreds of Corsicans, Italians, French, Portuguese, Irish, Scots, Bavarian Germans, Austrians and Croatians ^[4] attracted by the offers of free land by the Spanish Crown, moved to Puerto Rico and accepted the conditions for settlement. As soon as these settlers swore their loyalty to the Spanish Crown and their allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church, they were given a "Letter of Domicile". After five years, the settlers were granted a "Letter of Naturalization" that made them Spanish citizens. In 1870, to also attract non-Catholic Europeans, Spain's Cortes of Cádiz passed a law granting the right of religious freedom in the islands.

Aftermath

The new settlers soon adopted the language and customs of their new homeland, and many intermarried with local residents. Many also became prominent business and political leaders. The Royal Cédula continued in effect until 1898, when Spain finally lost Puerto Rico and Cuba, its last two possessions in the New World, to the United States under the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish–American War.^[2] However, the European immigration impulse produced by the Spanish Royal Cédula, and other factors, continue but slowly diminishing throughout the World War II's Post-war era, until the late 1950's.

The original Spanish Royal Cédula of Graces of 1815, with face page as shown, is kept in the General Archives of Puerto Rico, part of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.^[3]

See also

• Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico
• French immigration to Puerto Rico
• German immigration to Puerto Rico
• Irish immigration to Puerto Rico
• Spanish immigration to Puerto Rico

References

External links

• Real Cédula de 1789 "para el comercio de Negros"
• Archivo General de Puerto Rico: Documentos
• Real Cédula del 8 de setiembre de 1777