century wave of immigrants
In the early 19th century, Ponce continued to be one of dozens of hamlets that dotted the Island. Its inhabitants survived by subsistence agriculture, cattle raising, and maritime contraband with foreigners. However, in the 1820s, three events took place that would dramatically change the size of the town forever. The first of these events was the arrival of a significant number of French citizens, fleeing the Haitian Revolution of 1792-1804. The effect of this mass migration was not felt significantly until the 1820s. These French entrepreneurs were attracted to the area because of its large flatlands and came with enough capital, slaves, and commercial connections to make a significant impact in Ponce's sugar cane production. The second event was the arrival of landlords and merchants from Latin American countries (and in particular from Venezuela) resulting from the deterioration of the Spanish Empire in Central and South America when those countries gained their independence from Spain in the 1810s-1820s. The third event was the declaration of the Spanish Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, which allowed any citizen of a country politically friendly to Spain to settle in Puerto Rico as long as they converted to the Catholic faith and agreed to work in the agricultural business. With such mass migrations, not only the size of the town was changed, but the character of its population was changed as well. On July 29, 1848, and as a result of this explosive growth, the Ponce hamlet was declared a villa (village) by Queen Isabella II, and in 1877 the village obtained its city charter.
The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, also brought a strong influx of immigrants from Europe, further strengthening its economy and assuring its progress. Immigrants came from many regions of Europe. This was in addition to the wealthy Spaniards who fled from the independence revolts in Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Many mid 18th-century
