Real Cédula de Gracias de 1815: inmigración y progreso, un acercamiento historiográfico

Abstract

Among the most researched subjects of the history of Puerto Rico is the wave of European immigration during the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. This political reform under the Bourboun dynasty is considered a catalyst for the creation of a wealthy, land-owning elite in Puerto Rico, where previously, most cultivated lad had belonged to subsistence farmers. The decree allowed for the establishment in Puerto Rico of Europeans from Catholic countries. It liberalized commercial activity between Puerto Rico and its Caribbean neighbors with the goal of reducing clandestine commerce with non-Spanish territories. This essay analyzes various historical works that consider the effects of the Royal Decree from different ideological perspectivas. The essay emphasizes how the decree is often examined within the framework of modern economic liberalism in Puerto Ricna historiography.