Monday, January 31, 2011
San Cristobal
1519 - San Juan founded by Spanish settlers from Caparra.
1539 - Construction of the first fortified defenses at El Morro and La Fortaleza, with batteries aimed at the harbor entrance.
1625 - The Dutch attack and take San Juan from the land side. Construction of some form of defense for San Cristobal Hill ordered to prevent other attacks from the land side.
1634 - A small redoubt is built on the high ground known as San Cristobal on the northeast side of San Juan.
1765-1783 - Main period of construction of San Cristobal as we see it today under the directions of Royal Engineers Tornis O'Daly and Juan Mestre.
1797 - Another attack on San Juan from the land side by a British invasion force of 7,000 men commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby halted at the Escambron defenses, a mile from San Cristobal.
1855 - Mutiny by the San Cristobal artillery brigade against the Spanish crown. The castle is held by rebels for 24 hours causing panic in the city when the cannon are turned around and aimed at the city streets.
1897 -A large segment of 18th century walls are dynamited from San Cristobal to the docks to allow San Juan to expand.
1898 - San Cristobal's gunners duel with US Navy warships during a day long bombardment 12 May 1898. Six months later Puerto Rico becomes US territory by terms of the Treaty of Paris which ends the Spanish-American War.
1942 - Still an active military base when World War 11 breaks out, concrete pillboxes and an underground bunker control center are added to the ancient defenses of San Cristobal.
1949 - San Juan National Historic Site is established.
1961 - The US Army moves out of the forts of Old San Juan, and they become the jurisdiction of the US National Park Service, to be preserved solely as museums.
1983 - San Juan National Historic Site is declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
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