Lola Rodríguez de Tió,
[This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name ''"Rodríguez"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''"Tió"''.] (September 14, 1843 – November 10, 1924), was the first
Puerto Rican-born woman poet to establish herself a reputation as a great poet throughout all of
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
. A believer in
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
, she was also committed to the
abolition of slavery
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The British ...
and the independence of Puerto Rico.
Early years
Rodríguez de Tió was born Dolores Rodríguez de Astudillo y Ponce de León
in
San Germán, Puerto Rico. Her father, Sebastián Rodríguez de Astudillo, was one of the founding members of the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico (literally, "Illustrious College of Attorneys," the governing body for Spanish attorneys in Puerto Rico, similar to a bar association). Lola's mother, Carmen Ponce de León, was a descendant of
Juan Ponce de León, who was an explorer, and the first Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico. She too was a native of the town of San Germán. Rodríguez de Tió received her education at home where she was home-tutored. She developed a lifelong love for literature, especially for the works of
Fray Luis de León
Fray or Frays or The Fray may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional entities
*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's '' The Carpet People''
*Fray, the main character in the video games:
**''Fray in Magical Adventure''
**''Fray CD' ...
which were to serve her as a source of inspiration. She was very assertive in her early years, at the age of seventeen she demanded to be allowed to wear her hair short, which went against the conventional norm of the time, a personal trademark that she kept through her life.
Political activist
![LolaRodriguezTio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/LolaRodriguezTio.jpg)
Rodríguez de Tió moved to Mayagüez, with her family. There she met Bonocio Tió Segarra, whom she married in 1863. Rodríguez de Tió became a writer and book importer who often wrote articles in the local press and was as much of an activist against the Spanish regime as was allowed by the government. After marrying Tió, she published her first book of poetry, "''Mis Cantos''", which sold the then amazing amount of 2,500 copies.
[Lola Rodríguez de Tió - Bio](_blank)
/ref>
In 1867 and then again in 1889, Rodríguez de Tió and her husband were banished from Puerto Rico by the Spanish appointed Governors. On their first exile they went to Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
and on their second banishment they first moved to New York where she helped José Martí
José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...
and other Cuban revolutionaries, and later to Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, where the couple resided until their respective deaths. Their home became a gathering point for politicians and intellectuals as well as exiled Puerto Ricans. In 1868, inspired by Ramón Emeterio Betances
Ramón Emeterio Betances y Alacán (April 8, 1827 – September 16, 1898) was a Puerto Rican independence advocate and medical doctor. He was the primary instigator of the Grito de Lares revolution and is considered to be the father of the Pu ...
's quest for Puerto Rico's independence and by the attempted revolution called the Grito de Lares
''El Grito de Lares'' (''The Cry of Lares''), also referred to as the Lares uprising, the Lares revolt, the Lares rebellion, or the Lares revolution, was the first major revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. The revolt was planned by Ra ...
, she wrote the patriotic lyrics to the existing tune of La Borinqueña
"" (from the native name of Puerto Rico, ''Borinquen'' or ''Boriquen''), ) is the official anthem of Puerto Rico.
After Puerto Rico became known as "The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" in 1952, the first elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, sig ...
. In 1901, Rodríguez de Tió founded and was elected member to the Cuban Academy of Arts and Letters. She was also an inspector of the local school system. She was well known in Cuba for her patriotic poetry about Puerto Rico and Cuba. Some of Rodríguez de Tió's best known works are "''Cuba y Puerto Rico son...''" (Cuba and Puerto Rico are..) and "''Mi Libro de Cuba''" (My Book about Cuba).
In 1919, Rodríguez de Tió returned to Puerto Rico where she was honored with a great banquet at the Ateneo Puertorriqueño
The Ateneo Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Athenaeum), is a cultural institution in Puerto Rico. Founded on April 30, 1876, it has been called Puerto Rico's oldest cultural institution, however, it is actually its third oldest overall and second c ...
after she recited her "Cantos a Puerto Rico". Lola Rodríguez de Tió died on November 10, 1924, and is buried at the Colón Cemetery in Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. , Cuba.
Legacy
It is believed by some that the design and colors of the Puerto Rican Flag
The flag of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Bandera de Puerto Rico) represents and symbolizes Puerto Rico and its people.
The origins of the current flag of Puerto Rico, adopted by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952, can be traced to 1868, whe ...
, which were adopted in 1954, came from Rodríguez de Tió's idea of having the same flag as Cuba with the colors reversed. Puerto Rico has honored Lola's memory by naming schools and avenues after her.
On May 29, 2014, The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico honored 12 illustrious women with plaques in the "La Plaza en Honor a la Mujer Puertorriqueña" (Plaza in Honor of Puerto Rican Women) in San Juan. According to the plaques the 12 women, who by virtue of their merits and legacies, stand out in the history of Puerto Rico. Rodríguez de Tió was among those who were honored.La Mujer en nuestra historia
/ref>
Lyrics to the revolutionary version of "La Boriqueña"
The following are the lyrics to Lola Rodríguez de Tió's 1868 revolutionary version of "La Boriqueña":
Bibliography
As listed by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress, The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War.
Major works
* A mi patria en la muerte de Corchado (1885)
* Cantares, nieblas y congojas (1968)
* Claros de sol (1968)
* Claros y nieblas (1885)
* Mi libro de Cuba (1893)
* Mi ofrenda (1880)
* Mis cantares (1876)
* Nochebuena (1887)
* Obras completas (1968)
* Poesías (1960)
* Poesías patrióticas, poesías religiosas (1968)
* Trabajos literarios (1882)
* La borinqueña (song lyrics to a native dance, 1868)
Newspaper articles by Lola Rodríguez de Tió
''La democracia'', June 07, 1905, Page 4, Image 4, Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
''La democracia., April 03, 1903, Image 1,'' Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
Verses under "Autógrafo" published on ''La democracia''., May 20, 1899, Image 3, Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
Letter about "La cuestión Huntington," published on ''La democracia''., December 19, 1893, Page 3, Image 3, Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
Poem "A una golondrina" published on ''La democracia''., November 02, 1893, Page 3, Image 3, Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
Letter to Don Ramón Marín, published on ''La democracia''., May 21, 1892, Page 2, Image 2, Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
Ancestry
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Puerto Rican writers
This is a list of Puerto Rican literary figures, including poets, novelists, short story authors, and playwrights. It includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, and long-term residents or immigrants ...
* Puerto Rican literature
Puerto Rican literature is the body of literature produced by writers of Puerto Rican descent. It evolved from the art of oral storytelling. Written works by the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico were originally prohibited and repressed by th ...
* History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...
19th-century female leaders of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement
* María de las Mercedes Barbudo
María de las Mercedes Barbudo (1773 – February 17, 1849) was a Puerto Rican political activist, the first woman ''Independentista'' in the island, and a "Freedom Fighter".
* Mariana Bracetti
Mariana Bracetti Cuevas (also spelled Bracety) (1825–1903) was a patriot and leader of the Puerto Rico independence movement in the 1860s. She is attributed with having knitted the flag that was intended to be used as the national emblem of P ...
Female members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
* Blanca Canales
Blanca Canales (February 17, 1906 – July 25, 1996) was an educator and a Puerto Rican Nationalist. Canales joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in 1931 and helped organize the Daughters of Freedom, the women's branch of the Puerto Rican N ...
* Rosa Collazo
Rosa or De Rosa may refer to:
People
*Rosa (given name)
*Rosa (surname)
*wiktionary:Santa_Rosa, Santa Rosa (female given name from Latin-a latinized variant of Rose)
Places
*223 Rosa, an asteroid
*Rosa, Alabama, a town, United States
*Rosa, Ger ...
* Lolita Lebrón
Lolita Lebrón (November 19, 1919 – August 1, 2010) was a Puerto Rican nationalist who was convicted of attempted murder and other crimes after carrying out an armed attack on the United States Capitol in 1954, which resulted in the wound ...
* Ruth Mary Reynolds
Ruth Mary Reynolds (February 29, 1916 – December 2, 1989) was an American educator, political and civil rights activist who embraced the ideals of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. She was incarcerated in ''La Princesa'' Prison for sedi ...
* Isabel Rosado
Isabel Rosado (November 5, 1907 – January 13, 2015), a.k.a. Doña Isabelita, was an educator, social worker, activist and member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. Influenced by the events of the Ponce massacre, Rosado became a believer of ...
* Isabel Freire de Matos
Isabel Freire de MatosThis name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the woman's maiden family name '' "Freire"'' and the second, or matrimonial, family name is ''"de Matos"''. (February 2, 1915 – September 30, 2004) was a writer ...
* Isolina Rondón
Isolina Rondón (April 11, 1913 – October 2, 1990) was a political activist. She was one of the few witnesses of the killing of four Nationalists committed by local police officers in Puerto Rico during a confrontation with the supporters of th ...
* Olga Viscal Garriga
Olga Isabel Viscal Garriga (May 5, 1929 – June 1995) was a public orator and political activist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she moved to Puerto Rico, where she was a student leader and spokesperson of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party's ...
Articles related to the Puerto Rican Independence Movement
* Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950s
* Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, PNPR) is a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The P ...
* Ponce massacre
The Ponce massacre was an event that took place on Palm Sunday, March 21, 1937, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, when a peaceful civilian march turned into a police shooting in which 19 civilians and two policemen were killed, and more than 200 civilians ...
* Río Piedras massacre
The Río Piedras massacre occurred on October 24, 1935, at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. Puerto Rico Police officers confronted and opened fire on supporters of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. Four Nationalist Party members w ...
* Puerto Rican Independence Party
The Puerto Rican Independence Party ( es, Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño, PIP) is a social-democratic political party in Puerto Rico that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States.
Those who follow the PIP ...
* Grito de Lares
''El Grito de Lares'' (''The Cry of Lares''), also referred to as the Lares uprising, the Lares revolt, the Lares rebellion, or the Lares revolution, was the first major revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. The revolt was planned by Ra ...
* Intentona de Yauco
The ''Intentona de Yauco'' (the "Attempted Coup of Yauco") of March 1897 was the second and final major revolt against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, staged by the island's pro-independence movement in the second half of the nineteenth ce ...
* United States of Banana
''United States of Banana'' (2011) is a postmodern allegorical novel by the Puerto Rican author Giannina Braschi. It is a cross-genre work that blends experimental theatre, prose poetry, short story, and political philosophy with a manifesto o ...
Notes
References
Further reading
The World of 1898: The Spanish American War. Lola Rodríguez de Tió.
Library of Congress.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez De Tio, Lola
1843 births
1924 deaths
People from San Germán, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican poets
Puerto Rican abolitionists
Puerto Rican feminists
Puerto Rican independence activists
19th-century Puerto Rican people
19th-century Puerto Rican writers
19th-century Puerto Rican poets
19th-century Puerto Rican women writers
National anthem writers
Female revolutionaries