José Gualberto Padilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Gualberto Padilla
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 12, 1829 |
| Died | May 26, 1896 |
| Occupation | poet, physician, journalist, politician and Puerto Rico independence movement leader |
| Children | 3 |
José Gualberto Padilla (born July 12, 1829 – died May 26, 1896) was a very important person in Puerto Rico. People also knew him as El Caribe. He was a doctor, a poet, a journalist, and a politician. He strongly believed that Puerto Rico should be free from Spanish rule. Because of his patriotic poems and ideas, the Spanish rulers in Puerto Rico saw him as a threat. He was even put in prison and faced many challenges.
Contents
Growing Up in Puerto Rico and Spain
José Gualberto Padilla was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the capital city. His family later moved to Añasco, Puerto Rico. There, his father worked as a lawyer. José started his schooling in Añasco. Later, he went to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to continue his education.
While studying in Spain, Padilla and other Puerto Ricans started a newspaper called La Esperanza. This newspaper talked about the problems and unfair rules in Puerto Rico under Spanish control. In 1845, he moved to Barcelona, Spain. There, he finished his medical degree and became a doctor. He also wrote for different newspapers and published a funny political poem called Zoopoligrafía.
Padilla, along with Román Baldorioty de Castro, helped create a group called the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País en Puerto Rico. This group was part of a bigger Spanish movement. It aimed to improve society and the economy.
Returning Home to Puerto Rico
In 1857, Padilla came back to Puerto Rico. He settled in the town of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. He bought a sugar plantation called Hacienda La Monserrate. The money from the plantation allowed him to open a clinic. He practiced medicine in Vega Baja. If a patient was poor, he treated them for free. He also served two terms as the Mayor of Vega Baja. Padilla eventually ended slavery on his own plantation.
Fighting for Freedom
Padilla played a part in planning El Grito de Lares. This was the first big uprising against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. It was a call for the island to become independent. The revolt happened on September 23, 1868, in the town of Lares, Puerto Rico. It was planned by Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis.
The revolt did not last long. About 475 rebels, including Padilla, were arrested. They were held in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Padilla kept writing poems even while he was in prison. A military court decided that the prisoners should face the death penalty. However, important Puerto Ricans in Madrid, like Eugenio María de Hostos, spoke to the Spanish President.
To calm things down on the island, the new governor announced that all prisoners would be released. This happened in early 1869. Padilla was able to go home. However, many other leaders, like Betances, were sent away from Puerto Rico.
His Written Works
After returning home, Padilla wrote for different publications. He used pen names like El Caribe, Macuquino, Cibuco, and Trabuco. This helped him avoid being arrested again. He also spoke out against a Spanish newspaper director who made fun of Puerto Rican customs. Padilla also had disagreements with a Spanish poet whose verses offended the Puerto Rican people. In 1874, Padilla published Para un Palacio un Caribe, criticizing that poet.
In 1880, Padilla won an award for his poem Contra el Periodismo Personal. This award came from the newspaper El Buscapie. From 1886 to 1888, El Caribe wrote for the newspaper El Palenque de la Juventud. Some of his important works include:
- Nuevo Cancionero de Borinquen (1872)
- El Indio Antillano
- El Maestro Rafael (dedicated to the Puerto Rican teacher Rafael Cordero)
- En la muerte de Corchado (dedicated to Manuel Corchado y Juarbe)
- Para un Palacio un Caribe (1874)
Later Life and Legacy
Padilla retired in 1888. He spent his last years at his home in Vega Baja. He passed away on May 26, 1896. He was working on his last poem, Canto a Puerto Rico, right before he died. This poem is considered his greatest work. Some people believe that if he had lived longer, Canto a Puerto Rico would have been as famous as other great historical poems. His body was buried in the Municipal Cemetery of Vega Baja.
Many towns in Puerto Rico have schools named after José Gualberto Padilla. These towns include Cayey, Puerto Rico, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.
His daughter, Trinidad "Trina" Padilla de Sanz (1864-1957), also became a poet. She used the name La Hija del Caribe, meaning "Daughter of El Caribe." In 1912, she collected most of her father's poems. She published them in two books: En el Combate ("In Combat") and Rosas de Pasión ("Roses of Passion").
See also
In Spanish: José Gualberto Padilla para niños
- List of Puerto Ricans
- El Grito de Lares
- List of Puerto Rican writers
