In the early 16th century, Spanish colonizers began importing enslaved Africans to Puerto Rico, marking the island’s entry into the brutal transatlantic slave tradewelcome.topuertorico.orgelliesbookz.wordpress.com. Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León established the colony in 1508, and by 1509 a few free Black men (such as Juan Garrido and Pedro Mejías) arrived as part of his entourageelliesbookz.wordpress.com. However, these were the exceptions – by 1513 the Spanish had started bringing enslaved Africans to replace the decimated Taíno Indian  ...