Luis Muñoz Rivera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Muñoz Rivera
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| Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico | |
| In office March 4, 1911 – November 15, 1916 |
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| Preceded by | Tulio Larrínaga |
| Succeeded by | Félix Córdova Dávila |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1859 Barranquitas, Puerto Rico |
| Died | November 15, 1916 (aged 57) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Liberal Reformist (Before 1904) Unionist (1904–1916) |
| Spouse | Amalia Marín Castilla |
| Children | Luis |
Luis Muñoz Rivera (born July 17, 1859 – died November 15, 1916) was an important Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician. He played a big role in helping Puerto Rico gain more control over its own government, while still being connected to Spain.
In 1887, Muñoz Rivera joined the leaders of a new group called the Autonomist Party. This party wanted Puerto Rico to have its own government. In 1889, he was elected as a delegate for the Caguas area. Later, he helped the party talk with a Spanish leader, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta. Sagasta promised to give Puerto Rico an independent government if he became prime minister. Muñoz Rivera then became the Chief of the Cabinet for this new government.
On August 13, 1898, the Treaty of Paris changed who owned Puerto Rico. Spain gave Puerto Rico to the United States, and a military government took over. In 1899, Muñoz Rivera left his job in the government and took a break from politics. In 1909, he was chosen as the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. This job meant he represented Puerto Rico in the United States. He helped create the Jones-Shafroth Act, which changed how Puerto Rico was governed. Soon after, Muñoz Rivera got sick and returned to Puerto Rico. He passed away on November 15, 1916. His son, Luis Muñoz Marín, later became involved in politics and was the first elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
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Early Life and Education
Luis Muñoz Rivera was born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. He was the first child of Luis Muñoz Barrios and Monserrate Rivera Vazquez. His family was middle-class, not from the richest families in Puerto Rico.
When Luis was four, his mother taught him at home using books from his father's library. By age ten, he had finished all the schooling available in his town and was the best student in his class. He learned Spanish and French, and also took music lessons. His father hired private teachers to help him learn even more. Luis was a serious student who loved the book Don Quixote.
When Luis was twelve, his mother became ill and passed away. By then, he had nine younger brothers and sisters, whom he helped teach. By age fourteen, Luis was helping his father with legal papers and the family store. At that time, there were no universities in Puerto Rico. Most families sent their children to Cuba, Spain, or North America for higher education. Luis wanted to go to Spain to study law, but his father needed him to help with the family business.
Starting a Political Career
Writing and Early Politics
Luis Muñoz Rivera started writing poetry when he was young. He didn't publish any of his poems until he was 23. In 1882, a newspaper editor named Mario Braschi published his poem called ¡Adelante!. Braschi told Muñoz Rivera to keep writing, especially about science and politics. So, Muñoz Rivera began writing about Puerto Rico's political situation. He believed Puerto Rico needed its own government.
Even though his father was in the Conservative Party, Muñoz Rivera joined the Liberal Party in 1883. He opened a store with a friend, but it didn't do very well. He became a trusted member of the Liberal Party and was made president of the Barranquitas committee. He also joined the town council. In 1885, he started publishing his writings in newspapers and magazines.
Working for Self-Government
In January 1887, members of the Liberal Party met in Coamo to reorganize. There, Muñoz Rivera met Román Baldorioty de Castro, who became his teacher and friend. A new group, the Autonomist Party, was formed. This party wanted Puerto Rico to have its own government but still be connected to Spain.
The Autonomist Party grew quickly, partly because of Muñoz Rivera's writings and speeches. He spoke to the jíbaro people, who were farmers and country folk. The Conservative Party saw this as a threat. They closed the newspapers where he published his work and even put some staff in jail.
In 1889, Muñoz Rivera was chosen as the Liberal Party's delegate for the Juana Diaz area. But his father was also nominated by the Conservative Party for the same job. Out of respect, Luis moved his nomination to the Caguas area, and he won the election.
On July 1, 1890, he started the party's newspaper, La Democracía, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. This newspaper focused on politics but also had poems and stories by Puerto Rican artists. The newspaper quickly caused arguments, and Muñoz Rivera was even arrested. People protested all over Puerto Rico, and he was released after his father paid a large amount of money for his release.
In 1893, he married Amalia Marín. Later that year, he traveled to Spain to learn about their political system. He realized that Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, a Spanish political leader, could help Puerto Rico. While in Spain, Muñoz Rivera learned that his father had died, which made him very sad.
When he returned to Puerto Rico, he found that his trip had caused disagreements within the Autonomist Party. The party split into two groups: those who followed Barbosa (called Barbosistas) and those who followed Muñoz Rivera (called Muñocistas).
Muñoz Rivera helped write the Plan de Ponce, which suggested that Puerto Rico should have its own government. After many discussions, the Autonomist Party agreed to send four people, including Muñoz Rivera, to meet with Sagasta's party in Spain. Sagasta promised that if he became prime minister of Spain, Puerto Rico would get a special agreement giving it the same freedom as Spanish provinces.
When this news came out, most of the Barbosistas left and formed a new party. Sagasta became Spain's prime minister, and in December 1897, he gave Puerto Rico the promised self-government. Muñoz Rivera changed his party's name to the Liberal Party of Puerto Rico. He served as a key leader in this new independent government.
American Rule and Later Years
Changes Under American Control
On February 18, 1898, Muñoz Rivera's son, Luis Muñoz Marín, was born. The family had moved to Old San Juan. Soon after, news spread that an American ship, the USS Maine, had sunk near Cuba. This event would likely start a war between Spain and the United States.
On May 12, 1898, the United States Navy attacked San Juan. On July 25, the United States Army landed in Guánica, starting the land invasion. On August 13, the Treaty of Paris was signed. This treaty ended the fighting and gave Cuba and Puerto Rico to the United States. Puerto Rico then became a U.S. territory under military rule.
Muñoz Rivera was sad about this change. He knew the U.S. wanted to build a canal in Panama, and Puerto Rico would be important for protecting it. He refused to work with the military government at first. He went back to Barranquitas and wrote a poem comparing Puerto Rico's situation to a difficult task. Later, he returned to San Juan and agreed to help the new government. He helped set up a local police force.
The military governor, Guy Vernon Henry, and Muñoz Rivera often disagreed strongly. Muñoz Rivera spoke out against many of Henry's decisions. On February 4, 1899, he resigned from his leadership position. Puerto Rico was facing money problems, and many people struggled to communicate with the Americans. The right to vote was also greatly reduced. Governor Henry eventually removed the last parts of the self-government that Spain had given. Muñoz Rivera was against the military rule and continued to push for Puerto Rico to govern itself.
In 1900, the Foraker Act was signed. This law ended military rule and set up a civil government in Puerto Rico. It created a Supreme Court with five American judges chosen by the U.S. President. It also created the job of Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Muñoz Rivera criticized this law. He also spoke out against the new Republican Party of Puerto Rico, which supported the law.
Moving to New York and Final Efforts
The United States started a plan to make Puerto Rico more like America. One day, Muñoz Rivera learned that all public school classes in Puerto Rico would be taught in English. He was surprised and thought the plan would fail because there weren't enough teachers who knew English. Muñoz Rivera began writing articles for the jíbaro population, encouraging them to support self-government for Puerto Rico.
In 1901, a group of people who wanted Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state broke into his newspaper office and damaged equipment. After this, Muñoz Rivera and his family moved to Caguas, where he reopened his newspaper, La Democracia. Because of more threats, Muñoz Rivera decided to move to New York City. There, he started a newspaper called Puerto Rico Herald, which was in both English and Spanish. In this paper, he strongly criticized the United States' policies toward Puerto Rico.
In the following years, his family often traveled between Puerto Rico and New York. Muñoz Rivera, along with other leaders, founded the Union of Puerto Rico party. This party won the election in 1904, and he was chosen as a member of the House of Delegates.
In 1910, Muñoz Rivera ran for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1911 to 1916. He worked hard to improve his English and became friends with some congressmen. In 1915, Muñoz Rivera suggested giving Puerto Rico more self-rule without asking for full independence or becoming a state. Many in his own party disagreed at first, but they eventually supported his idea.
On March 2, 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act was signed. This law gave Puerto Ricans United States citizenship and created a two-part Legislative Assembly. However, Muñoz Rivera was still not happy with the law because the U.S. still controlled the courts and the executive branch. On March 16, 1916, he gave a speech in Congress. He said that if Puerto Rico were to disappear, Puerto Ricans would prefer American citizenship. But as long as the island existed, its people preferred Puerto Rican citizenship.
Soon after, he became ill and returned to Puerto Rico to get better. In late 1916, his family learned he had a serious infection that had spread throughout his body. Luis Muñoz Rivera passed away on November 15, 1916, in San Juan, before the Jones Act became law. When he died, the town bells rang, and people sang La Borinqueña, Puerto Rico's anthem. His funeral procession lasted five days and traveled across Puerto Rico. Thousands of people attended. Muñoz Rivera was buried in the Muñoz Rivera Family Mausoleum in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.
Legacy and Honors
- Muñoz Rivera's son, Luis Muñoz Marín, also became a very important political figure. He helped start the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico. In 1948, he was elected as the first democratically chosen Governor of Puerto Rico.
- In 1923, the city of Ponce put up a statue to honor Muñoz Rivera. They also renamed the northern part of the city's main square Plaza Muñoz Rivera after him.
- Sixteen schools in Puerto Rico are named after Luis Muñoz Rivera.
See also
In Spanish: Luis Muñoz Rivera para niños
- History of Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Luis Muñoz Rivera Park
- Politics of Puerto Rico
- List of Hispanic Americans in the United States Congress
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)
- Luis Muñoz Rivera (Ponce statue)
