Irish Immigration To Puerto Rico - Expulsion of The Irish From Puerto Rico

Expulsion of The Irish From Puerto Rico

On February 17, 1797, the appointed governor of Puerto Rico, Brigadier Ramón de Castro, received the news that Great Britain had invaded the island of Trinidad. Believing that Puerto Rico would be the next British objective, he decided to put the local militia on alert and to prepare the island's forts against any military action. After the Puerto Rican and Spanish victory against Great Britain in what is known as the Battle of San Juan of 1797, Castro became suspicious of all English-speaking European foreigners believing that they supported the anti-Spanish military campaign and ordered some of the local residents and foreigners, especially those of English and Irish descent, to be placed under surveillance. Many were given eight days to leave the island and those who did not leave were imprisoned.

Many of the people in Puerto Rico, among them Treasury official Felipe Antonio Mejía, were outraged at Castro's actions and came to the defense of the Irish. Soon their views became known to the Spanish Crown where they condemned Castro's pronouncement as legally unjustified and economically counter-productive. Eventually, the majority returned to the island including the O'Dalys, Dorans, Kiernans, Quinlans and Skerrets. In 1823, brothers Robert and Josiah Archbald, imported and introduced to Puerto Rico the island's first steam operated mill, which they used in their Ponce sugar plantation.