José de Diego
Encyclopedia
José de Diego y Martínez (April 16, 1866 – July 16, 1918), known as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement", was a statesman
, journalist, poet, lawyer, and advocate for Puerto Rico
's independence from Spain
and from the United States
.
officer from Asturias
, Spain
and Elisa Martínez Muñiz a Criollo
from Puerto Rico, was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
and received his primary education in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
. He then moved to Spain where he graduated from the "Polytechnic College of Logroño". While in Spain, de Diego collaborated with the newspaper El Progreso
(Progress) which was founded by José Julián Acosta
and which attacked the political situation in Puerto Rico. This led to various arrests and eventually he returned to the island.
and was the founder of the newspaper La República
(The Republic). Together with Román Baldorioty de Castro
, Diego founded the "Autonomist Party" in 1887. Luis Muñoz Rivera
and Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
, who were members of the party, formed a committee which ultimately convinced the Spanish representative in the island Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
to support the idea of autonomy for Puerto Rico. De Diego did not accompany Muñoz Rivera and Matienzo Cintrón, because he believed that Spain should be a Federal Republic and Mateo Sagasta's party followed the ideals of the monarchy. De Diego envisioned the establishment of a Confederation of the Spanish-speaking islands in the Caribbean which would include Dominican Republic
and Cuba
, known as the Antillean Confederation
. In 1897, Spain acknowledged Puerto Rico's autonomy, after Mateo Sagasta's victory in Spain. De Diego celebrated Muñoz Rivera's accomplishment and was named Sub-Secretary of Justice and Government. Puerto Rico's autonomy, however was short-lived.
, the Treaty of Paris (1898)
committed Spain to ceding Puerto Rico to the United States as a war bounty.
On June 5, 1900, President William McKinley
named de Diego, together with Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
, José Celso Barbosa
, Manuel Camuñas, and Andrés Crosas to an Executive Cabinet under U.S.-appointed Governor Charles H. Allen. The Executive Cabinet also included six American members. De Diego resigned from the position in order to pursue the island's right to govern itself. In 1904, he co-founded the "Unionist Party
" along with Luis Muñoz Rivera
, Eduardo Georgetti
, Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón and Antonio R. Barceló
.
De Diego was then elected to the House of Delegates, the only locally elected body of government allowed by the U.S., and which De Diego presided from 1904 to 1917. The House of Delegates was subject to the U.S. President's veto power and voted for the island's right to independence and self-government and against the imposition of U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans, among other resolutions passed. None of these requests were honored by newly developing US hemispheric expansionism. In 1914, Barceló, Muñoz Rivera and de Diego were members of an executive council that attempted to form an alliance between the Union and Republican Parties. In 1917, after Luis Muñoz Rivera died, Barceló became the leading force behind the liberal ideas of the island. Barceló and De Diego were against the creation of the Jones-Shafroth Act
which would impose United States citizenship
upon the citizens of Puerto Rico because the act represented an impediment to Puerto Rican independence as a final status solution and because the judicial and executive branches would still be controlled by the United States. The Jones-Shafroth Act, however was approved by the United States and signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson
on March 2, 1917. The Union Party under Barceló's leadership then resolved to adopt a different stance and to seek more autonomy which he believed would finally lead to independence. This move prompted de Diego's, who was a strong independence advocate, to have great differences with the majority of his party members,. De Diego became known as the "Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement".
" now known as "University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez". De Diego travelled throughout the Caribbean and Spain seeking the support from what he called "Los hermanos de la misma raza" (Brothers of the same race) for Puerto Rico's independence. After giving a speech in Barcelona in to such a request, he became known as the "Caballero de la Raza" (The gentlemen of the race). José de Diego's right leg developed gangrene and was amputated in 1916. He died in New York City on July 16, 1918 of endocarditis. His remains were returned to Puerto Rico and are buried in the "Cementerio Antiguo de San Juan" (Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
), in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
, Illinois
, Brooklyn, New York, and Miami, Florida
named after him.
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, journalist, poet, lawyer, and advocate for Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early years
De Diego, son of Felipe de Diego Parajón a Spanish armySpanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
officer from Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Elisa Martínez Muñiz a Criollo
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
from Puerto Rico, was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and received his primary education in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"...
. He then moved to Spain where he graduated from the "Polytechnic College of Logroño". While in Spain, de Diego collaborated with the newspaper El Progreso
El Progreso
The municipality of El Progreso is located in the Honduran department of Yoro. Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport of San Pedro Sula is located west of the city. To the east of the city is the mountain range of Mico Quemado ....
(Progress) which was founded by José Julián Acosta
José Julián Acosta
José Julián Acosta Calbo , born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a distinguished journalist and a fervent advocate of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico.-Early years:...
and which attacked the political situation in Puerto Rico. This led to various arrests and eventually he returned to the island.
Poetry
In 1886, de Diego had an unhappy love affair, with Carmen Echavarría, which led him to write one of his acclaimed poems "A Laura" (To Laura). This poem became very popular among the romantics of that time. He became known as the "Father" of the "Modern Puerto Rican Poetry Movement". Among his most noted poetry books are :- Pomarrosas
- Jovillos
- Cantos de Rebeldía
- Cantos del Pitirre
Confederation of the Spanish-speaking islands in the Caribbean
De Diego returned to Spain and studied law in Barcelona. He received his law degree and continued his studies until he graduated with a doctorate in law in 1892. He then returned to Puerto Rico to advocate for its autonomy from Spain. De Diego set up his law practice in AreciboArecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo...
and was the founder of the newspaper La República
La República
La República is a center-left newspaper published in Lima, Peru. It is one of the two main national dailies sold all over the country since it was founded on May 3, 1981. The paper was founded by Gustavo Mohme Llona, a former member of the Peruvian Congress...
(The Republic). Together with Román Baldorioty de Castro
Román Baldorioty de Castro
Román Baldorioty de Castro distinguished himself as one of Puerto Rico's foremost abolitionists and spokesman for the island's right to self-determination...
, Diego founded the "Autonomist Party" in 1887. Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician. He was a major figure in the struggle for political autonomy of Puerto Rico....
and Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón was a lawyer, a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, and a lifelong political contrarian. He favored Puerto Rican autonomy when Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. After the Spanish-American War, when the island was ceded to the United States, he advocated...
, who were members of the party, formed a committee which ultimately convinced the Spanish representative in the island Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Práxedes Mariano Mateo Sagasta y Escolar was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister on eight occasions between 1870 and 1902—always in charge of the Liberal Party—as part of the turno pacifico, alternating with the Liberal-Conservative leader Antonio Cánovas...
to support the idea of autonomy for Puerto Rico. De Diego did not accompany Muñoz Rivera and Matienzo Cintrón, because he believed that Spain should be a Federal Republic and Mateo Sagasta's party followed the ideals of the monarchy. De Diego envisioned the establishment of a Confederation of the Spanish-speaking islands in the Caribbean which would include Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, known as the Antillean Confederation
Antillean Confederation
The Confederación Antillana —or Antillean Confederation was the vehement idea of Ramón Emeterio Betances about the need for natives of the Spanish Greater Antilles to unite into a regional entity that would seek to preserve the sovereignty and well-being of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto...
. In 1897, Spain acknowledged Puerto Rico's autonomy, after Mateo Sagasta's victory in Spain. De Diego celebrated Muñoz Rivera's accomplishment and was named Sub-Secretary of Justice and Government. Puerto Rico's autonomy, however was short-lived.
Politician
After the United States invasion of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the Treaty of Paris (1898)
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
committed Spain to ceding Puerto Rico to the United States as a war bounty.
On June 5, 1900, President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
named de Diego, together with Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón
Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón was a lawyer, a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, and a lifelong political contrarian. He favored Puerto Rican autonomy when Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. After the Spanish-American War, when the island was ceded to the United States, he advocated...
, José Celso Barbosa
José Celso Barbosa
Dr. José Celso Barbosa was a medical Physician, sociologist, and political leader of Puerto Rico.Known within Puerto Rico's New Progressive Party as "The father of the Statehood for Puerto Rico movement", Barbosa was also the first Puerto Rican to be awarded an American medical degree.-Early...
, Manuel Camuñas, and Andrés Crosas to an Executive Cabinet under U.S.-appointed Governor Charles H. Allen. The Executive Cabinet also included six American members. De Diego resigned from the position in order to pursue the island's right to govern itself. In 1904, he co-founded the "Unionist Party
Unionist Party
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom the term "unionist' may indicate support for either;* the 1707 Act of Union between Scotland and England or,* the 1800 Act of Union between Ireland and Great Britain....
" along with Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician. He was a major figure in the struggle for political autonomy of Puerto Rico....
, Eduardo Georgetti
Eduardo Georgetti
Eduardo Georgetti , was an agriculturist, businessman, philanthropist, and politician. Georgetti, who came from a family of prosperous land owners, became one of Puerto Rico's wealthiest sugar barons and benefactors...
, Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón and Antonio R. Barceló
Antonio R. Barceló
Antonio Rafael Barceló y Martinez was a lawyer, businessman and the patriarch of what was to become one of Puerto Rico's most prominent political families...
.
De Diego was then elected to the House of Delegates, the only locally elected body of government allowed by the U.S., and which De Diego presided from 1904 to 1917. The House of Delegates was subject to the U.S. President's veto power and voted for the island's right to independence and self-government and against the imposition of U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans, among other resolutions passed. None of these requests were honored by newly developing US hemispheric expansionism. In 1914, Barceló, Muñoz Rivera and de Diego were members of an executive council that attempted to form an alliance between the Union and Republican Parties. In 1917, after Luis Muñoz Rivera died, Barceló became the leading force behind the liberal ideas of the island. Barceló and De Diego were against the creation of the Jones-Shafroth Act
Jones-Shafroth Act
The Jones–Shafroth Act was a 1917 Act of the United States Congress by which Puerto Ricans were collectively made U.S. citizens, the people of Puerto Rico were empowered to have a popularly-elected Senate, established a bill of rights, and authorized the election of a Resident Commissioner to a...
which would impose United States citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
upon the citizens of Puerto Rico because the act represented an impediment to Puerto Rican independence as a final status solution and because the judicial and executive branches would still be controlled by the United States. The Jones-Shafroth Act, however was approved by the United States and signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
on March 2, 1917. The Union Party under Barceló's leadership then resolved to adopt a different stance and to seek more autonomy which he believed would finally lead to independence. This move prompted de Diego's, who was a strong independence advocate, to have great differences with the majority of his party members,. De Diego became known as the "Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement".
Later years
He founded the "Colegio de Agricultura y Artes Mecánicas de MayagüezUniversity of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez in Spanish , is a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant state university located in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...
" now known as "University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez". De Diego travelled throughout the Caribbean and Spain seeking the support from what he called "Los hermanos de la misma raza" (Brothers of the same race) for Puerto Rico's independence. After giving a speech in Barcelona in to such a request, he became known as the "Caballero de la Raza" (The gentlemen of the race). José de Diego's right leg developed gangrene and was amputated in 1916. He died in New York City on July 16, 1918 of endocarditis. His remains were returned to Puerto Rico and are buried in the "Cementerio Antiguo de San Juan" (Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery is a colonial-era cemetery located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico's most prominent natives and residents. Construction began in 1863 under the auspices of Ignacio Mascaro. The cemetery is located outside...
), in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Legacy
José de Diego's memory has been honored in Puerto Rico, by having his birth date as an official holiday as well as the naming schools, avenues, and a highway after him. The plaza in his hometown of Aguadilla, the Plaza José de Diego is named in his honor, plus there are schools in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Brooklyn, New York, and Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
named after him.
Partial bibliography
- Pomarrosas. Barcelona: Imprenta de Henrich y Ca. en Comandita, 1904.
- El caso de Puerto Rico y el Bill de tarifas. San Juan: Porto Rico Progress Publishing, 1913.
- Jovillos. Barcelona: Editorial Maucci, 1916.
- Cantos de pitirre. Palma de Mallorca: Imprenta Mosen Alcover, 1950.
- Cantos de rebeldia. Barcelona: Editorial Maucci, 1916.
- Obras Completas. Nuevas Campañas, el Plebiscito. San Juan de Puerto Rico: Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña,
- Obras Completas. Poesia. Vol. 2. San Juan: Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, 1973.
- Antología Poética. Palma de Mallorca: Ripoll, 1977.
- La obra literaria de José de Diego, San Juan: Arce De Vázquez, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, 1967
See also
- Edificio José de DiegoEdificio José de DiegoThe Edificio Jose de Diego in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, also known as Rectoria was built in 1913. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.-History:Its construction began in 1913 and concluded in 1916 as the Science Building...
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- List of Famous Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican literature
Further reading
- Jose de diego el legislador, San Juan; by: Dr. Delma S. ArrigoitiaDelma S. ArrigoitiaDr. Delma S. Arrigoitia, PhD, J.D., is a historian, author, educator and lawyer whose written works cover the life and works of some of Puerto Rico's most prominent politicians of the early 20th century. Arrigoitia was also the first person in the University of Puerto Rico to earn a Masters Degree...
; Publisher: Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena,1991; LCCN: 93114065; LC: F1978.D54 A77 1991
External links
- José de Diego - Library of Congress
- Articulos in Spanish