Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico on Nov. 19, 1493, during his second voyage, but an indigenous culture had already thrived here for thousands of years. Recent archeological finds suggest human beings were on the Island as early as 3,000 B.C.

The Taínos, who numbered 30,000 when the Spanish came, called their island Borinquén, and to this day Puerto Ricans occasionally refer to themselves as Boricuas. Other Taíno contributions to island life that are still evident include hammocks, musical instruments such as the maraca and güiro, and the familiar method of slow-roasting chicken first employed by the Taínos on a type of mute dog that is now extinct.

The peaceful Taínos quickly fell prey to Spanish aggression and disease. Others committed suicide or fled. No pure-blooded Taínos remain, as the survivors mixed with the Spanish and the African slaves brought here to mine gold and later to work in agriculture.

The Island was initially colonized by Juan Ponce de León, the Island's first governor who died from wounds received during the conquest of Florida in 1521. The same year, the Spanish settlement was moved from Caparra to its present site in Old San Juan. The Island's strategic location prompted the Spaniards to fortify the settlement here, and it later withstood attacks from the English, French and Dutch.