May 13, 2011

John H. Pilling Home
The Boston Architectural College - 320 Newbury Street - Boston MA 02115 - USAhttp://www.the-bac.edu/http://www.the-bac.edushapeimage_253_link_0

Living in the Américas - Spring 2011

BAC Long Studio  

Syllabus & Notes*

*Always a work in progress.....

Historic Research Assignments


The  ‘Resources’ web page lists information about Puerto Rico available on the web:

Encilopedia de Puerto Rico;

Wikipedia Puerto Rico Portal; and

Welcome to Puerto Rico .


The studio has been divided into 6 groups of 2 researcher / presenters.  Each group, using these, and other sources of their choosing, will present people and events from periods of Puerto Rico’s history. 


Every member of the studio, after seeing the group presentations, will prepare an artwork, with commentary, in response to it.


The historic periods covered, with associated key words for exploration, are:


PreHispanic (4,000 BCE - 1492):

Borinqén; Tainos, Ciboney, Guanajatabey, caves, engravings, petroglyphs, Caciques, Bohios, Cemis, Batey, Hamacas, Ceremonial plazas; Areyto; Guasabe, Jicaras


European Discovery (1493-1513):

Conquest,Taino decimation, Columbus, Juan Ponce de Leon, Caparra Village, Repartimiento; encomienda; Diego Salceda


Early Spanish Colonization (1514-1814):

Fortaleza, African Slaves, Intermarriage, Sir Francis Drake, San Felipe del Morro fortress, Plaza de Armas, San Cristóbal Fortress, Puerta San Juan; British invation attempt.


Late Spanish Colonization (1815-1898):

Latin American Wars of Independence, Puerto Rican representation in the Spanish Cortes; Cadiz Constitution - establishment, then revocation, then restitution; Royal Decree of Grace; Sugar and coffee, “El Jibaro,” by Alonso; El Grito de Lares.


U.S. Colonization (1898-1929):

Spanish American War, U.S. Invasion, Capitulation, Treaty of Paris, Foraker Act, Jones Act, Balzac vs. Porto Rico, Wall Street Crash,


“Estado Libre Asociado” (1930-present):

Puerto Rican Reconstruction Administration; Bacardi y Compañía; Luis Muñoz Rivera; 1940 U.S. Nationality Act; Elective Governors Act; “La Ley de la Mordaza;” Caribe Hilton Hotel; Observatory of Arecibo; Navy Bombing on Vieques.

Reference Materials

Exploration Assignments:

The history and explorations assignments are in preparation for travel.  In contrast to the historic research, which is chonological, The topics of the explorations are timeless.  The studio experiences the timeless and chonological simultaneously to get ready for the trip.