Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera | |
---|---|
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico | |
In office March 4, 1911 – November 15, 1916 | |
Preceded by | Tulio Larrínaga |
Succeeded by | Félix Córdova Dávila |
Personal details | |
Born | Barranquitas, Puerto Rico | July 17, 1859
Died | November 15, 1916 San Juan, Puerto Rico | (aged 57)
Political party | Liberal Reformist (Before 1904) Unionist (1904–1916) |
Spouse | Amalia Marín Castilla |
Children | Luis Muñoz Marín |
Luis Muñoz Rivera (July 17, 1859 – November 15, 1916) was a
In 1887, Muñoz Rivera became part of the leadership of a newly formed Autonomist Party. In 1889, he successfully ran a campaign for the position of delegate in the district of Caguas. Subsequently, Muñoz Rivera was a member of a group organized by the party to discuss proposals of autonomy with Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, who would grant Puerto Rico an autonomous government following his election. He served as Chief of the Cabinet of this government.
On August 13, 1898, the
Early life
Luis Muñoz Rivera was born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, to Luis Muñoz Barrios and Monserrate Rivera Vazquez. He was the couple's first child and a banquet was offered in celebration.[citation needed] He came from a middle-class family and was not part of Puerto Rico's elite.[1] His father came from one of the first patriarchal lines in Puerto Rico's politics.
His Paternal Grandfather Luis Muñoz Iglesias was from Castile in central Spain who decided to make his career in the army and received several recognitions after participating against Simón Bolívar during the Admirable Campaign, and followed his commanding officer Miguel de la Torre to Puerto Rico.[2][3] He settled in a 400-acre (1.6 km2) farm in Cidra, Puerto Rico, married María Escolástica Barrios and fathered twelve children. He became the town's first mayor from 1818 to 1820 and again in 1840 to 1850.[4][5]
During Muñoz Rivera's childhood, Barranquitas was a small rural town. The family's house was moderately large for the time; it was built with wood and its roof was made with zinc.[6] When he was four, his mother home-schooled him with books from a private library owned by his father. By the age of ten, Muñoz Rivera completed the education offered in the town's school, and finished first in his class.[7] He was educated in Spanish and French, and took music classes with Jorge Colombani. His father hired private tutors to continue his instruction. Muñoz Rivera was a serious student with a strong interest in Miguel de Cervantes' works, in particular Don Quixote.[8] Other authors that he studied include Fernando de Herrera, Tirso de Molina, Luis de Góngora, and Lope de Vega.
When Muñoz Rivera was twelve years old, his mother fell ill and died.[9] By this time, the family had grown to include nine more siblings, whom he taught. By the age of fourteen, Muñoz Rivera was managing legal documents, working with the local church clergy, and helping in his father's store.[10] There were no institutions of higher learning on the island at that time,[11] and most families sent their children to Cuba (University of la Habana, founded in 1728), Spain or North America to complete their university education. Muñoz Rivera wanted to travel to Spain and study law, but his father wanted him to take care of the family's business.
Political career
Early involvement in politics and poetry
Early in his life, Muñoz Rivera began writing poetry. However, he did not publish any of his work until he was 23 years old.[12] In 1882, Mario Braschi, an editor working for a newspaper named El Pueblo, accepted to publish a poem titled ¡Adelante!. Braschi advised Muñoz Rivera to continue writing, urging him to concentrate on science and politics, instead of authoring love poems.[12] Muñoz Rivera then began writing about Puerto Rico's political status, promoting the necessity of an autonomous government.
Even though his father was a member of the
Establishing an autonomous government
In January 1887, members of the Liberal Party organized a convention in
The Autonomist Party's base grew rapidly, in part due to Muñoz Rivera's writings and speeches directed toward the
As 1887 progressed, the conflicts between liberals and conservatives worsened, with governor Palacio ordering the arrest of more than a hundred liberals. The political tension increased and the year became known as "The Terrible Year".
On July 1, 1890, he founded the party's newspaper, La Democracía, in Ponce, Puerto Rico.[21] The publication was mostly directed towards politics, but it also included poetry and stories published by Puerto Rican artists.[20] The newspaper brought immediate controversy, which eventually led to Muñoz Rivera's arrest. Protest were organized throughout Puerto Rico and he was released after his father paid 15,000 pesetas as bond.[22] Muñoz Rivera sold his half of the store, in order to raise funds for the publication's establishment.
In 1893, he married Amalia Marín in a ceremony that took place in
Barbosa's group opposed allying with Sagasta, claiming that he was a monarchist while they were supporting the establishment of a republic. Meanwhile, Muñoz Rivera participated in the writing of the Plan de Ponce which proposed administrative autonomy for the island. After several debates, the Autonomist Party agreed to send four men to reunite with Libera Fusion Party in the organization's behalf, including Muñoz Rivera.[23] Sagasta proposed that if he won the premiership of Spain, Puerto Rico would receive a Chapter of Autonomy which would give it the same degree of sovereignty that the Spanish provinces had.[24] Upon learning of this, most of the Barbosistas resigned, forming a new institution named the Orthodox Autonomist Party. Sagasta became Spain's prime minister following the power vacuum that occurred after the assassination of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, and in December 1897 he granted the promised autonomous government. Muñoz Rivera changed the party's name to Liberal Party of Puerto Rico and served as Secretary of Grace, Justice and Government and Chief of the Cabinet for the independent government of Puerto Rico.[24]
American invasion and military government
On February 18, 1898, Muñoz Rivera's son,
On May 12, 1898, the
On February 4, 1899, he resigned from the position of president of the Council of Secretaries. Puerto Rico was experiencing a serious economic crisis, many problems arising from the population's inability to communicate with the Americans.
Last years and death
The United States eventually designed a program to "Americanize" Puerto Rico. One day while working for an article in El Diario, a friend of Muñoz Rivera brought a newspaper informing that all education in Puerto Rican public schools would be taught in English.[34] He was surprised by the announcement, expressing that the plan would fail due to lack of teachers with knowledge in the language. Muñoz Rivera began publishing articles directed towards the jíbaro population, in which he promoted self-government for Puerto Rico.[35]
In 1901, a group of statehood supporters broke into the El Diario's building, vandalizing most of the equipment.
In 1910, Muñoz Rivera ran for Resident Commissioner in the United States House of Representatives representing the Union of Puerto Rico party, and served from 1911 to 1916. After spending nearly a year perfecting his English, Muñoz Rivera began forming friendships with some congressmen.[39] Among these were Henry L. Stimpson and Felix Frankfurter. In 1915 Muñoz Rivera proposed granting Puerto Rico greater autonomy without requesting independence from the United States, and equal rights without becoming a state. His proposal was greeted by opposition from many members of his party including José de Diego. Still in the end, his party agreed on his proposal.
On March 2, 1917, the
Shortly afterwards, he became ill and returned to Puerto Rico to recuperate.
Legacy and honors
- Muñoz Rivera's son, Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico. He was elected in 1948 as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
- In 1923, the municipality of Ponce erected a statue in honor of Munoz Rivera and renamed the northern plaza of the city's main square Plaza Muñoz Rivera for him.[45]
- Sixteen Puerto Rican schools were named for Muñoz.[citation needed]
See also
- History of Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Luis Muñoz Rivera Park
- Politics of Puerto Rico
- List of Hispanic Americans in the United States Congress
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)
- Luis Muñoz Rivera (Ponce statue)
References
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.33
- ISBN 9780847701582. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ^ Luis Muñoz Iglesias (Spanish)
- ^ Mayors/Alcaldes of Cidra 1818 – Present Archived February 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.36
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.37
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.40
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.44
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.45
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.46
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.39
- ^ a b Reynolds et al., p.51
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.47
- ^ a b c d Reynolds et al., p.53
- ^ a b c Reynolds et al., p. 54
- ^ a b Reynolds et al., p. 55
- ISBN 0-8477-0189-1. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.56-57
- ^ a b c Reynolds et al., p.60
- ^ a b Reynolds et al., p.61
- ^ About La democracia. (Ponce, P.R.) 1890–1948. National Endowment for the Humanities: Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. U.S. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ a b Reynolds et al., p.62
- ^ a b c d Reynolds et al., p.64
- ^ a b Reynolds et al., p. 65
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.66
- ^ a b Reynolds et al., p.68
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.69
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.70
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.71
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.72
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.73
- ^ a b c d Reynolds et al., p.74
- ^ a b c Reynolds et al., p.76
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.78
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.79
- ^ a b Bernier-Grand et al., p.8–9
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.84
- ^ a b Bernier-Grand et al., p.10–11
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.85
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.88
- ISBN 0-8477-0158-1. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
- ^ Reynolds et al., p.89
- ^ a b Bernier-Grand et al., p.22
- ^ Bernier-Grand et al., p.23-25
- ^ Ponce: La Capital del Sur de Puerto Rico. Archived 2006-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
- Mack Reynolds (1969). Puerto Rican Patriot: The Life of Luis Muñoz Rivera. United States: The Macmillan Company.
- Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (1995). Poet and Politician of Puerto Rico: Don Luis Muñoz Marín. New York: Orchand Books. ISBN 0-531-08737-9.
- Pablo Martínez Archilla (2012). Desengáñate Quintín: [un juego de toma y Daca]. Puerto Rico: Publicaciones Excelente. ISBN 9780985307004.