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| '''José Ramon Fernández''' "Marqués de La Esperanza" (1808 - 1883), was the wealthiest sugar baron in Puerto Rico in the 19th century. He was also |
'''José Ramon Fernández''' "Marqués de La Esperanza" (1808 - 1883), was the wealthiest sugar baron in Puerto Rico in the 19th century. He was also one of the most powerful men of the entire Spanish Caribbean.<ref name="HLE"></ref> His wealth permitted him to weld enough political power amongst the Spanish Colonial government in the island that his request that the municipality of ] be divided into two was granted, thus the creation of the municipality of ]. | ||
| ==Early years== | ==Early years== | ||
Revision as of 14:57, 30 November 2011
| José Ramon Fernández | |
|---|---|
 José Ramon Fernández"Marqués de La Esperanza" | |
| Born | 1808 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | 1883 Manati, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Occupation | Sugar baron |
| Notes | |
| The Spanish Crown bestowed upon him the title of "Marqués de La Esperanza" | |
José Ramon Fernández "Marqués de La Esperanza" (1808 - 1883), was the wealthiest sugar baron in Puerto Rico in the 19th century. He was also one of the most powerful men of the entire Spanish Caribbean. His wealth permitted him to weld enough political power amongst the Spanish Colonial government in the island that his request that the municipality of Manati be divided into two was granted, thus the creation of the municipality of Barceloneta.
Early years
Fernández (birth name: José Ramon Fernández y Martínez) was one of three siblings born to Fernando Fernández and Francisca Martínez in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fernández's father was a naval captain who fought against pirates and English merchant ships. In 1797, the Spanish Royal Crown granted him land in the towns of Bayamon and Manati in recognition of his service to Spain. In Bayanon he planted sugar canes and raised cattle. His father named the property the "Santa Ana Plantation". In 1804, the elder Fernández used a mixture of sugar and honey to process and distill rum. He aged his product in special barrels which were imported from Europe. The rum he produced was only for his own personal use and that of his family. In 1827, he ordered his 127 slaves to build an enormous windmill shaped like a tower. The windmill helped to extract the juice from the sugar canes. He would still resort to the use of manpower, whenever the wind wasn't strong enough for the to operate the windmill. The Elder Fernández did the same with his other plantation in Manati, which he named "La Esperanza".
Fernández received his primary education in Puerto Rico. In 1819, when he was eleven years old his father sent him to Spain to study business administration. When he was seventeen he continued his education in England where he became fluent in the English language. He went to the United States in his early twenties and continued his education in New York City. There he befriended various businessmen who in the future will help him in his commercial endeavors.
Return to Puerto Rico
Fernández returned to Puerto Rico in 1826 and helped his father in the administration of the La Esperanza sugar plantation. He met and befriended George C. Lattimer, the United States consulate in San Juan. Together with Lattimer who was also a sugar broker, he founded Lattimer & Fernández Co. The company, which was located in San Juan, was a distributor of sugar, molasses and rum and also dealt with other commodities such as food and textiles. Fernández married Clemencia Dorado y Serrano and in 1834, decided to dedicate himself to his commercial interests instead of the agricultural ones. He established a warehouse in the town of Mayaguez where he moved with his family.
Fernández was the president of the "Partido Incondicional Español" (Unconditional Spanish Party), a conservative political party in Puerto Rico. He was appointed to several political positions. He was in good political standing with Queen Isabella II of Spain and the Spanish appointed Government of the island because of his political views which favored the monarchy and the Spanish colonization of the island. He became involved in with various businesses and in 1850, used his political influence to lobby for the establishment of a railroad line between San Juan and Arecibo with the financial backing of Augusto de Cottes and Cornelio Kortwright.
Marqués de La Esperanza
An uprising against the monarchs of Spain forced Queen Isabella II to go into exile on September of 1868. This revolt, which deposed Isabella, is known as the Glorious Revolution, and ushered the First Spanish Republic into power. The new government replaced Isabella with Amadeo I, son of the Italian king, after much deliberation. The new provisional government allowed its colonies to send representatives to the Spanish Courts. Fernández was among those who represented Puerto Rico. On February 5, 1869, the Spanish government bestowed the title of "Marqués de La Esperanza" upon Fernández.
He inherited the plantation "La Esperanza", which at the time was one of the largest and the most technically modern in Puerto Rico, when his father died. The 2,265 acres of land, where "La Esperanza" was situated, were rich in alluvial deposits an important element for the cultivation of the sugar cane. Fernández owes his prosperity to the slaves who provided the manpower to run the plantation and to the factory equipment which included a steam engine with its two-flue boiler purchased from the West Point Foundry of New York, elaboration (Jamaican) train, a conveyor belt and four evaporators.
Fernández convinced the government to allow the establishment of the municipality of Barceloneta which required that the municpality of Manati be divided in two. His motives were for his own economic benefit and not for the political benefits of the residents of both municipalities. Fernández was well aware that he would have to pay taxes from the movement of goods and slaves if he used the ports of Manati. The establishment of the mew municipality, allowed Fernández to build his own port, thus obtaining movement for his merchandise free of taxes.
Legacy
Fernández incurred in many debts because of the money which he barrowed to mechanize his plantation. He was unable to pay his debts and when he died his family became involved in a family feud as to who was the rightful inheritor of the plantation However it was the Colonial Company Ltd, who Fernandez owed the most money to, that had the final say in the matter. Colonial Company Ltd. claimed ownership of the land.
See also
References
- ^ José R. Fernández y Martínez "Marqués de La Esperanza"
- Traveler
- Puerto Rico Herald
- ^ HACIENDA LA ESPERANZA
- Women history