History of puerto rico essay

The island became not only a Spanish colony, but it as well became a crucial military outpost for the country. The island primarily depended on the production of crops such as sugar cane, tobacco, coffee and livestock such as cattle. It became necessary to import slaves who would provide cheap labor and increase agricultural production. The importation of slaves from Africa explains the mixing of Puerto Rican culture and bloodlines which have evolved (Cabán, 2018). The island has a mixture of the African, Spanish, and indigenous Carib India and Taino races. The move was facilitated by the island’s source of cheap labor from the African slaves and the attractive laws on taxes. The economy of the island became largely supported on tourism and manufacturing.