Royal Decree of Graces of 1815
The Real Cédula de Gracia ( royal pardon ) of 1815 is a legal document by which the Spanish government wanted to encourage their countrymen and later other Europeans to settle in the colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
History
On August 10, 1815 approved the Spanish King Ferdinand VII the Real Cédula de Gracia, Cuba and Puerto Rico conceded to include trade Spain related countries, and the Spaniards, who were willing to settle in these areas, vacant land and special privileges granted. The economic development of Puerto Rico's stagnated until 1830, before immigrants from the Spanish provinces of Catalonia, Majorca and the Canary Islands arrived and gradually established plantations for sugar cane, coffee and tobacco.
Spain had already adopted other regulations, such as the pardon from September 8, 1777 for Venezuela or the pardon of 1789, which allowed the subjects to purchase slaves and to participate in the flourishing slave action in the Caribbean.
Situation in the Spanish colonies
At the beginning of the 19th century fought the Spanish colonies in the New World under the leadership of Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín against Spanish rule. 1859 lost all of its colonies in the Americas except for Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Spanish Empire. However, the two remaining areas demanded greater autonomy and were characterized by movements for independence. Given the danger of losing the last two colonies, renewed the Spanish crown to Real Cédula de Gracia in 1815, the time in three languages ( Spanish, English and French) was printed to attract more Europeans, as it was believed that with the arrival new settlers could lose the independence movement in popularity and strength. The new residents were offered, when they swore their loyalty to the Spanish Crown and the Roman Catholic Church free country.
Situation in Europe
End of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century there was in Europe to many economic and political changes. The second industrial revolution caused many farm - workers to give up their work in agriculture, and to seek in the larger cities for better paid work. The remaining farmers suffered the consequences of widespread crop failures, from the long droughts and diseases such as cholera and the blight that caused the great famine in Ireland resulted. The hunger was everywhere in Europe.
Europe experienced in 1848, a series of revolutionary movements, which began in Sicily, continued with the February Revolution in France and the March Revolution in the German Confederation and finally to the German - French war of 1870.
These conditions led to a massive emigration of Europeans to the Americas. Hundreds of Corsicans, Italians, French, Irish and German moved to Cuba and Puerto Rico and thus accepted the conditions of the Spaniards. After they had sworn their loyalty, they received a "letter of domicile ." After five years they have been explained by a "letter of naturalization " to Spanish subjects. To attract non-Catholic Europeans, the Spanish courts issued a law in 1870 that allowed everyone the free exercise of their religion. The decree also allowed the slave labor to revive agriculture. The new agricultural layer, which now migrated from other European countries, used the slave labor on a large scale and cruelty was the norm.
Aftermath
The settlers who took advantage of the Real Cédula de Gracia to complete, fit soon the language and customs of their new home and married locals. Many of them were well-known figures in business and politics.
The pardon was until 1898 in force when Spain 's last two possessions eventually lost as a result of the Spanish- American War in the New World to the United States.
The original document of 1815 is currently preserved in the General Archives of Puerto Rico at the Institute of Puerto Rican culture in the capital San Juan.