El Cañuelo
Encyclopedia
John of the Cross
John of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile....
), better known as el Cañuelo, is located on Isla de Cabras
Isla de Cabras
Isla de Cabras is an islet located at the entrance of the San Juan bay in Puerto Rico.Isla de Cabras is the current location of:* Fortín San Juan de la Cruz, also known as El Cañuelo....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.-Features:The site includes four features:* Fort San Felipe del Morro* Fort San Cristóbal* El Cañuelo...
.
History
This fort was originally built in wood in 1610. Due to its location at the entrance of the San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
bay, and in front of the Fort San Felipe del Morro
Fort San Felipe del Morro
Also known as Fort San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Rundown :Lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
, across the bay, it provided a strategic point to create a crossfire for any invading ships entering the bay, filling a gap in the artillery coverage. It is said that, at one time, there was a huge chain crossing from El Morro to El Cañuelo that was stretched during attacks to provide a physical barricade across the bay entrance.
The fort also guarded the mouth of the Bayamón River on the other side. The fort played an important role during a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
attack to the island. At that time it was burnt to ashes. However, the Spaniards rebuilt it in the 1670s.
On May 12, 1898, during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, El Canuelo was bombarded by the U.S. Navy, this engagement is considered part of the larger engagement; the Bombardment of San Juan
Bombardment of San Juan
The Bombardment of San Juan, or the First Battle of San Juan, on 12 May 1898 was an engagement of the Spanish-American War, between United States Navy warships and the Spanish fortifications of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Background:...
.
Other information
The square fort is about 80 feet (24 m) per side, with one guerite (garita in Spanish). It is also estimated to cover a 3.4 acres (13,759.3 m²) area. Originally built on a rocky islet, nearby Isla de Cabras (Goat Island) was artificially expanded to incorporate it.Although difficult for tourists to find, the site features fabulous views of Boca Vieja Cove to the west and San Juan Bay to the east. The fort interior is closed to the public, but one can walk around its walls. Isla de Cabras is connected to the main island by a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
.
See also
- San Juan National Historic SiteSan Juan National Historic SiteSan Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.-Features:The site includes four features:* Fort San Felipe del Morro* Fort San Cristóbal* El Cañuelo...
- Fort San Felipe del MorroFort San Felipe del MorroAlso known as Fort San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Rundown :Lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
- Isla de CabrasIsla de CabrasIsla de Cabras is an islet located at the entrance of the San Juan bay in Puerto Rico.Isla de Cabras is the current location of:* Fortín San Juan de la Cruz, also known as El Cañuelo....
- Bombardment of San JuanBombardment of San JuanThe Bombardment of San Juan, or the First Battle of San Juan, on 12 May 1898 was an engagement of the Spanish-American War, between United States Navy warships and the Spanish fortifications of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Background:...
Reference
- Nofi, Albert A., The Spanish American War, 1898, 1997.
- Carrasco García, Antonio, En Guerra con Los Estados Unidos: Cuba, 1898, Madrid: 1998.
- Freidel, Frank Burt. The Splendid Little War. Boston: Little, Brown,1958.
- Blow, Michael. A Ship to Remember: The Maine and the Spanish-American War. New York : Morrow, 1992. ISBN 0688097146.
External links
- Spanish-American War Centennial Website
- Boricuazo page on El Cañuelo in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
- El Cañuelo
- The Forts of Old San Juan:Guardians of the Caribbean, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan