José Andino y Amezquita (March 24, 1751 – 1835) was a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

and the first Puerto Rican

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

Early years

Andino y Amezquita was born in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

into a prominent and wealthy family. He was a direct descendant of Captain

Juan de Amézqueta Juan de Amézqueta (born c. 1595), was a captain in the Puerto Rican Militia who defended Puerto Rico from an invasion by the Dutch in 1625. He fought and wounded Captain Balduino Enrico (Boudewijn Hendricksz) who was ordered by the Dutch Governm ...

, a Spanish soldier who defended Puerto Rico from an invasion by the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

in 1625. He was also the great-grandson of Field Marshal Gaspar Martinez De Andino, a

Spaniard Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both i ...

who was appointed by the Spanish Crown Governor of Puerto Rico and served as such from 1683 to 1685."Colecciones Puertorriqueñas- Biografías"; by: Cesáreo Rosa Nieves y Esther M. Melón; Publisher: Ediciones México, 1985. Andino y Amezquita received his elementary education in Puerto Rico and in 1765, was sent to

Granada, Spain Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the co ...

, where he continued his academic education at the "Colegio de Nobles Americanos" (College of Noble Americans), a military preparatory school.Perfil Biográfico de José Andino y Amézquita; Periódico Primera Hora, lunes, 16 de enero de 2006 Andino y Amezquita served in the Spanish Army and eventually reached the rank of captain. He was a person of strong temperament and his disagreements with his fellow officers led to his resignation from the military in 1787.

Return to Puerto Rico

In 1793, Andino y Amezquita returned to Puerto Rico and was named Royal Minister of Internal Revenue Department. In 1813, he founded the "Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País" (Economic Society of Friends of the Nation), an organization which recognized the artistic talents of the local residents in contests in which those who participated were given monetary prizes.

First Puerto Rican journalist

In 1814, Andino y Amézquita was named director of ''El Diario Económico de Puerto Rico'' (The Economic Daily of Puerto Rico), the first privately owned newspaper in the island. He wrote articles on the subjects related to agriculture, commerce, economy and other socioeconomic-related subjects, thus becoming the first Puerto Rican journalist. As a journalist, he proposed the establishment of a National Bank and was able to express and share his

ic views. As a journalist for the newspaper ''El Eco'', Andino y Amézquita exhorted his readers to vote during elections for native-born Puerto Ricans instead of candidates born in Spain.

Later years

Upon his retirement, Andino y Amézquita would spend his last years in his farm "La Campaña" in the town of

Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina (; ) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over ...

. Andino y Amézquita died in his farm in 1835.

Legacy

The City of Bayamon, Puerto Rico honored his memory by naming a school after him.José Andino y Amezquita School
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Early years

Return to Puerto Rico

First Puerto Rican journalist

Later years

Legacy

See also

References

Further reading