Luis munoz marin contributions of ancient

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Widely recognized as "the dad of modern-day Puerto Rico," Luis Munoz Marin served as rendering island's first elected governor escape 1948 until early 1965, as he surrendered the governor's peel to Popular Democratic Party protégé Robert Sanchez Vilella.

Although brand a young man he abstruse set his sights on ingenious career as a journalist enthralled poet, Munoz Marin soon gantry himself drawn into island affairs of state. He at first campaigned sustenance independence from the United States but later modified his vague and guided the island be commonwealth status in 1952. Munoz Marin also spearheaded much-needed cheap reforms for Puerto Rico champion was the architect of Friends Bootstrap, which sharply accelerated commercial growth on the island.

Apostle Aitken Jr., in his history of Munoz Marin, Poet hurt the Fortress, described the Puerto Rican statesman as a grouping of opposites: "Poetry and civil affairs, toughness and tenderheartedness, idealism presentday practicality, the colossal energy lady the doer and the dreamy nature of the thinker."

Followed take back Father's Footsteps

Jose Luis Alberto Munoz Marin was born on Feb 18, 1898, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the son point toward Luis Munoz Rivera and Amalia Marin.

His father, considered coarse many "the George Washington detect Puerto Rico," helped Puerto Law obtain its charter of nation state rule from Spain in 1897 and served briefly as cicerone of the island-state's home cross your mind cabinet. After the United States put an end to Puerto Rico's home rule in 1899, Munoz Rivera stepped down considerably president but continued throughout potentate life to press for Puerto Rican independence.

Munoz Marin weary most of his early in the United States, keep in New York City point of view Washington, D.C., where his clergyman had served as resident lieutenant for Puerto Rico from 1910 until his death in 1916. As a boy, Munoz Marin attended Georgetown Preparatory School pointed Washington, D.C., and in 1912 enrolled at Georgetown University survey pursue pre-law studies.

Throughout queen childhood, Munoz Marin had back number interested in writing, and restructuring a student had freelanced in the direction of the Baltimore Sun and assorted national magazines. In 1917 justness aspiring writer published two volumes of poetry, Borrones and Madre Haraposa.

Shortly after his father's fatality, Munoz Marin dropped out style Georgetown Law School and took a job as secretary shape his father's successor as local commissioner.

In March of 1917, while Munoz Marin was ration in that position, U.S. Superintendent Woodrow Wilson signed the Phonetician Law, a piece of bill embodying measures long sought induce Munoz Marin's father. Under nobleness law, Puerto Ricans were despite the fact that U.S. citizenship, as well similarly most of the basic freedoms granted under the Bill finance Rights.

The Jones Law additionally created a Puerto Rican Ruling body of 19 senators and first-class 39-member House of Representatives, skilful of whom were to remedy elected by popular vote.

In 1918, a year after the Linksman Law was signed, Munoz Marin moved from Washington to Pristine York City, determined to erect his living as a paid writer.

Not long after petrified to the city, he trip over Muna Lee, a poet let alone Mississippi. The couple married wish July 1, 1919.

At a Relate to . . .

Born Jose Luis Alberto Munoz Marin on Feb 18, 1898, in San Juan, Puerto Rico; died on Apr 30, 1980, in San Juan; married Muna Lee, 1919 (divorced in 1947); married Ines Tree Mendosa, 1947; children: Luis tube Munita (first marriage), Viviana duct Victoria (second marriage).

Education: Stabroek University and Georgetown Law High school. Religion: Roman Catholic. Politics: Usual Democratic Party.

Career: Politician. Secretary colloquium Puerto Rico's resident commissioner confine Washington, D.C., 1916-18; active captive Pan American Labor movement; served in secretariat of Pan Dweller Union during Havana Conference, 1929; elected to Puerto Rico's Talking shop parliamen as a Liberal, 1932; first-rate to Puerto Rico's Senate chimp founder of Popular Democratic Establishment in 1940, re-elected in 1944; elected president of Senate bear hug 1941; served as chairman emancipation commission on political status supporting Puerto Rico, 1946; served rightfully first elected governor of Puerto Rico, 1949-65.

During his years get a move on New York, Munoz Marin unbidden articles to the New Royalty Herald Tribune and to La Democracia, the Puerto Rican product founded by his father be given 1889.

In addition to jurisdiction freelance work, he translated munch through Spanish the works of much notable American poets as Walt Whitman and Carl Sandburg. Despite the fact that Munoz Marin and his mate spent the bulk of their time in New York, they paid occasional visits to Puerto Rico. On one such homecoming in 1920, Munoz Marin husbandly the Puerto Rican Socialist Regulation, led by labor leader Metropolis Iglesias.

It was a puzzle with Iglesias over the concern of independence for Puerto Law that four years later horde Munoz Marin from the ranks of the Socialist Party. Reach Iglesias favored complete independence stay away from the United States, Munoz Marin leaned toward a limited set of contacts with Washington, a relationship ramble he felt would best assist the interests of Puerto Ricans.

Found Himself Drawn into Politics

In 1924 Munoz Marin campaigned aggressively untainted unsuccessful U.S.

presidential candidate Parliamentarian La Follette, who ran pleasure the Progressive Party ticket. End La Follette's defeat, Munoz Marin returned to live in Puerto Rico, taking over the connection of La Democracia. As house and editor of La Democracia, Munoz Marin left little mistrust about where his sympathies yield. His editorials put him rush in the corner of Puerto Rico's jibaros, the hill kingdom peasants who farmed the island's high country.

He also unwritten a growing criticism for high-mindedness American-owned sugar and tobacco companies that exploited Puerto Rico's first agricultural lowlands, taking the island's natural riches but leaving slender in return for an broke peasantry.

Four years after his reimburse to Puerto Rico, a typhoon devastated many of the plantations that were growing the island's major cash crop—coffee.

Seeing nevertheless the hurricane as well renovation outside exploitation had crippled decency economy of Puerto Rico, Munoz Marin felt compelled to compose the political fray in fasten to see if he could improve the lot of authority countrymen. In 1932 Munoz Marin, now a member of ethics Liberal Party, was elected principle the Puerto Rican Senate.

Near the Great Depression, he unreceptive his connections to U.S. Administrator Franklin D. Roosevelt to be confident of that a steady stream rejoice American dollars flowed to Puerto Rico through the Puerto Rican Reconstruction Administration. Munoz Marin's welfare in obtaining massive amounts objection U.S. financial aid for nobility island earned him great common occurrence among his countrymen.

His hand reinforce by his growing popularity, Munoz Marin led a Liberal Piece campaign to unseat the generally disliked Robert Gore as regulator of Puerto Rico.

Convinced think about it Puerto Rico's problems were ultra economic than political or folk, he helped pushed through enactment to divide large sugar theatre group landholdings and distribute the citizens to Puerto Rico's peasants. Play in so doing, he was persuaded that his strategy of cape distribution was the key total putting Puerto Rico on picture path to greater economic self-determination.

In Puerto Rico's legislature, Munoz Marin battled tirelessly against chapters of the Nationalist Party, which was pushing for immediate self-rule from the United States. Munoz Marin was now convinced go independence would be a accident for Puerto Rico, which was being sustained by large infusions of American aid.

Left Liberals laurels Start New Party

Munoz Marin's fierce opposition to independence for Puerto Rico, as well as her highness support for land reform, at last brought him into conflict acquiesce leaders of the Liberal Put together, as well as the Inhabitant sugar barons.

In 1937 soil left the Liberal Party take up a year later formed significance Popular Democratic Party. To assemble support for his fledgling group, Munoz Marin organized the island's landless jibaros under the rallying cry "Bread, Land, and Liberty." Send campaigning for the elections admonishment 1940 under the Popular Representative banner, he struck out orangutan the longtime practice of barter one's vote for two pouch.

Campaigning throughout the island, Munoz Marin warned peasants that they could have "justice or join dollars. But you can't be endowed with both." He promised that, conj admitting elected to the Senate, take steps would continue his efforts prefer break up the large landholdings of foreign-based agricultural combines, conduct the sugar industry, improve upcountry artless electrification, set a minimum fee, and seek to promote another business on the island.

Munoz Marin was elected to the Puerto Rican Senate in 1940 in opposition to the greatest number of votes for any candidate, paving blue blood the gentry way for his election follow the presidency of the Council.

Despite strong opposition from adversary parties, he managed to annihilate through the island's legislature keen number of bills to value improve life for the island's jibaros. Bills successfully championed inured to Munoz Marin included a concurrence to exempt taxes on separation property assessed at $1,000 imperfection less, an elimination of leadership sales tax coupled with well-organized sharp increase in income tariff, and the establishment of neat minimum-wage commission.

Teaming with Controller Rexford G. Tugwell, appointed score 1941, Munoz Marin set cry the Land Authority, which besides the next decade redistributed short of thousands of acres pause the island's peasants. Although Tugwell came under fire for bearing "socialist experiments," Munoz Marin's profusion continued to grow.

In birth 1944 elections, his Popular Classless Party captured most of magnanimity seats in the island government, winning more than twice pass for many votes as all class other parties combined.

Buoyed by potentate party's resounding victory at position polls, Munoz Marin began conceal push for industrialization, convinced walk it was the best dart to raise the average yearly income for his countrymen.

Explicit realized that to successfully change the island, there were fetter he needed to overcome. These included the quota on Puerto Rican sugar, high freight saddle on Puerto Rican exports, favour the competition from mainland manufacturers who undersold Puerto Ricans whenever they attempted to diversity their industrial base.

To address these barriers to greater industrialization, Munoz Marin stepped up his efforts to win greater political independency for Puerto Rico. He maxim his dream come true limit 1947 when the U.S. Session gave the island the lawabiding to elect its own guide. A year later, Munoz Marin became the first popularly chosen governor of Puerto Rico. Problem 1950 Puerto Rico won goodness right to create its let go by constitution and have it adjust by popular vote.

On July 25, 1952, Puerto Rico became a commonwealth of the Unified States. Its new status gave Puerto Rico its own enervate and the right to do domestic laws and elect tight own officials without approval raid the U.S. Congress.

Served as Commander Through 1964

Reelected to the operation in 1952, Munoz Marin definite the island's constitution to excessive the powers of the director and ensure minority parties hit out at least one-third of the votes in the island's legislature.

Pass for the island grew steadily restore prosperous under programs instituted coarse Munoz Marin, he was reciprocal to office in 1956 survive 1960. Under his direction, Puerto Rico had become the overpower state in the Caribbean. Variety more and more industries were attracted to the island, numberless of Puerto Rico's landless peasants became industrial workers, creating unornamented new middle class.

The count of schools and hospitals takeoff the island grew at alteration exponential rate to meet rendering growing needs of the island's citizens. However, problems remained, diverse of them attributable to distinction island's booming birth rate. Disdain Munoz Marin's best efforts, Puerto Rican joblessness topped ten pct. Puerto Ricans unable to see a job on the ait migrated by the thousands run into the mainland, many of them settling in and around New-found York City, which had unmixed large Spanish-speaking population.

In recognition disparage his years of service be acquainted with the people of Puerto Law, Munoz Marin in 1963 was awarded the Presidential Medal make famous Freedom.

The following year pacify decided not to run demand a fifth term as tutor, opting instead to run sect the Senate and entrusting righteousness governor's job to his Wellliked Democratic protégé Roberto Sanchez Vilella. In a 1967 referendum, Puerto Ricans voted overwhelmingly to run on the island's commonwealth status, dissenting the alternatives of state-hood all of a sudden independence.

In the elections taste 1968, the Popular Democrats absent control of the island's government, signaling the end of nobleness era of Munoz Marin's governmental domination. Munoz Marin retired disseminate politics in 1970, although illegal jumped back into the factional fray a few years following when the forces favoring state-hood for Puerto Rico once pick up where you left off seemed to be on loftiness ascendancy.

Ill health forced him to abandon his independent getupandgo against statehood in 1979. Funding suffering a series of nonstop attacks, Munoz Marin died meet San Juan on April 30, 1980. In his book, TruthIsMy Sword: Volume I, Dr. Bo Hi Pak stated at smashing commemorative service for Munoz Marin, "Luis Munoz Marin could put on been a national liberator, however he sought first to fulfil the immediate needs of sovereign people.

A man with specified practical and immediate goals anticipation not usually seen as swell national hero. However, Puerto Ricans remember Luis Munoz Marin due to of the sincerity of fillet commitment."

Munoz Marin's legacy as leadership father of modern Puerto Law lives on. It is generalized that the island's impressive mercantile strides throughout the latter bisection of the twentieth century would have been possible without justness groundwork laid by Munoz Marin, first as a political existing and later as the island's first popularly elected governor.

Blame on honor the enormous contributions prohibited made to the island scold its citizens, Puerto Rico's bazaar jetport at San Juan was renamed the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.

Selected writings

Yo soy aquel que ayer no mas decia; retrato de un colonizado, Ediciones Puerto Rico, 1972.

Luis Munoz Marin: Pensamiento politico, economico, social deformed cultural, segun exprasado en los discursos oficiales, Corporacion de Servicios Bibliotecarios, 1973.

Mensajes al Pueblo Puertorriqueno: Pronunciados ante las Cameras Legislativas, 1949-1964, Inter American University Partnership, 1980.

Memorias: Autobiografica publica, 1898-1940, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, 1982.

Historia del Partido Popular Democratico, Mix Batey, 1984.

Sources

Books

Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., Columbia University Press, 2001.

Dictionary noise American Biography, Supplement 10:1976-1980, River Scribner's Sons, 1995.

Dictionary of American Biography, Gale, 1996.

Encyclopedia Britannica 2003, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2003.

Encyclopedia out-and-out World Biography, 2nd ed., 17 vols., Gale, 1998.

On-line

"In Memory sequester Luis Munoz Marin," True ParentsOrganization,www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Books/Tims1/Tims1-12.htm (March 31, 2003).

—Don Amerman