José Julián Acosta (February 16, 1825 – August 26, 1891), was a journalist and an advocate of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico.

Early years

José Julián Acosta Calbo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Francisco de Acosta y Sandoval and Juana Antonia Calbo y Garriga. There he received his primary education. He was one of Rafael Cordero's most notable students. Cordero was an inspiration to Acosta and the influence of his teachings remained with Acosta for the rest of his life. Later, he became a protégé of Father Rufo Manuel Fernández, who would send him to Madrid, Spain to study Physics and Mathematics. After he graduated in 1851, Acosta continued to expand his educational knowledge in Paris, London, and Berlin. In Berlin, he was a student of the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.Enciclopedia Puerto Rico

When Acosta returned to Puerto Rico, he took a job as a professor of Botany and Maritime Sciences and became the director of the Civil Institute of Secondary Education. Acosta was the founder and editor of the newspaper '' El Progreso'' (''Progress''), and he collaborated with many other newspapers which were oriented toward liberalism.

Abolitionist

Between 1865 and 1867, Acosta was a member of a Puerto Rican commission, which included Segundo Ruiz Belvis and

Francisco Mariano Quiñones Francisco Mariano Quiñones (1830 – September 13, 1908) was a proponent of the abolition of slavery and of the self-determination of Puerto Rico. Early years Quiñones (birth name: Francisco Mariano Quiñones Quiñones) was born into a wea ...

, and which participated in the ''Junta Informativa de Reformas de Ultramar'' (Overseas Reforms Informative Board) which met in Madrid. Here, Acosta presented the argument for the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico. That same year, whilst in Madrid, Acosta was made a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of History, for his work in the editing of

Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra 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'' ...

's ''Historia geografica, civil y natural de la isla de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico''. (''Geographic, Civil, and Natural History of the Island of St. John the Baptist of Puerto Rico'') Upon returning to the Island, Acosta, like many other Puerto Ricans with liberal views, was harshly mistreated by the Spanish governor. After the Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) revolt in 1868, he was suspected of being a conspirator and was imprisoned in the dungeons of

Fort San Felipe del Morro Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro, is a citadel built between 16th and 18th centuries in San Juan, Puerto Rico.ww ...

by General Pavia, even though he had not participated in the failed revolt. Acosta later published a pamphlet entitled ("Hours of Imprisonment") describing his experiences in prison.

Political career

Acosta became a member of the Liberal Reformist Party and in 1870, he founded the political newspaper ''El Progreso''. In 1871 he became an elected representative to the

Spanish Courts The Cortes Generales (; en, Spanish Parliament, lit=General Courts) are the bicameralism, bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house), and the Senate of Spain, Senate (the upper house). T ...

. In 1873, he became president of the Liberal Reformist Party, but decided to leave the party in 1874, and joined the Autonomist Party formed by Román Baldorioty de Castro.

Legacy

On March 22, 1873, Acosta witnessed the success of his abolitionist efforts, with the proclamation of the decree for the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico. Acosta died on August 26, 1891, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was interred in

Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

in Old San Juan. His great-grandson was Colonel

Gilberto José Marxuach Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach a.k.a. "The Father of the San Juan Civil Defense" (November 19, 1910 – April 18, 1957), was a former officer in the United States Army who in 1951 founded and became the first director of the Civil Defense in ...

, the "Father of the San Juan Civil Defense".

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