Juan Ponce de Leon II
Encyclopedia
Juan Ponce de León II was the first Puerto Rican
to assume, though temporarily, the governorship of Puerto Rico
.
to Juan Garcia "Gracie" Troche and Juana Ponce de León. The Spanish
Conquistador
Juan Ponce de Leon
was Juana's father and, consequently, Juan Ponce de León II's maternal grandfather.
in 1569. He built the "town of the Circumcision", probably around modern Laventille. In 1570 this settlement was abandoned, possibly because of the raids by the Caribs which resulted in the death of de Leon's son. According to some historians, Ponce de León II may have been an on and off governor of the island from 1571 to 1591.
to assume, temporarily, the governorship of Puerto Rico until the arrival of Jerónimo De Agüero Campuzano, who assumed the governorship of the island that same year.
Later in life, after he became a widower, Ponce de León II embraced and lived a religious life. He took it upon himself to transfer the body of his grandfather, Juan Ponce de León from Cuba
and had it interred at the San José Church in San Juan, (the remains were moved once again in 1913, when they were placed in the San Juan Cathedral).
Juan Ponce de León II's remains are buried in the San José Church
, in San Juan, Puerto Rico
. Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming a high school in the town of Florida, Puerto Rico
after him.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
to assume, though temporarily, the governorship of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Early years
Ponce de León II,(birth name: Juan Troche Ponce de León), was born in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
to Juan Garcia "Gracie" Troche and Juana Ponce de León. The Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Juan Ponce de Leon
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named...
was Juana's father and, consequently, Juan Ponce de León II's maternal grandfather.
Settlement in Trinidad
Ponce de León II was sent by the Spanish Crown to establish a settlement on the island of TrinidadTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
in 1569. He built the "town of the Circumcision", probably around modern Laventille. In 1570 this settlement was abandoned, possibly because of the raids by the Caribs which resulted in the death of de Leon's son. According to some historians, Ponce de León II may have been an on and off governor of the island from 1571 to 1591.
The first Puerto Rican governor of Puerto Rico
In 1579, the Spanish Crown named Jerónimo De Agüero Campuzano governor of Puerto Rico. He was to replace the then governor Francisco De Obando Y Mexia. Juan Ponce de León II became the first Puerto RicanPuerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
to assume, temporarily, the governorship of Puerto Rico until the arrival of Jerónimo De Agüero Campuzano, who assumed the governorship of the island that same year.
Written work "Melgarejo's Memoirs"
In 1581, at the request of King Phillip II of Spain, Juan Lopez Melgarejo, who served as governor of Puerto Rico from 1581 to 1582, asked Juan Ponce de León II to write a general description of the West Indies with emphasis on the part corresponding to Puerto Rico. He did this with the collaboration of his fellow Puerto Rican Antonio de Santa Clara. Ponce de León II's written work Memorias de Melgarejo (Melgarejo's Memoirs) is one of Puerto Rico's most important historical documents. In 1581, Ponce de León II was able to establish the exact geographical coordinates of San Juan by observing an eclipse.Later years
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and had it interred at the San José Church in San Juan, (the remains were moved once again in 1913, when they were placed in the San Juan Cathedral).
Juan Ponce de León II's remains are buried in the San José Church
San José Church
San José Church , located in Old San Juan within the historic colonial section of the capital of Puerto Rico, is one of the first significant works of architecture on the island...
, in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming a high school in the town of Florida, Puerto Rico
Florida, Puerto Rico
Florida is a municipality of Puerto Rico located north of Ciales, south of Barceloneta, east of Arecibo, and west of Manatí. Florida is spread over one ward and Florida Pueblo...
after him.
See also
- Juan Ponce de LeónJuan Ponce de LeónJuan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Governors of Puerto Rico