We are happy to announce the addition of a new title to Chronicling America! There are now a little over 16,000 pages of Boletín mercantil de Puerto Rico available for January 1871 through December 1898.
The Boletín mercantil de Puerto Rico was first published in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 2, 1839 under the title Boletín Instructivo y Mercantil de Puerto Rico. It was one of two main communication methods (the other being La Gaceta) for the Spanish Government on the island. According to scholar Antonio S. Pedreira, it is “a newspaper of transcendental significance in the history of newspapers in Puerto Rico”. The Boletín brings to the forefront, from a conservative stance, the daily life of the Spaniards and their descendants in Puerto Rico and serves as an important resource to study the conservative pro-Spanish political currents in the colony.
It reported on interests of merchants, on-goings of the Conservative Party (Partido Conservador), daily government happenings, major political events, and international news.
The Boletin also includes articles that provide a glimpse into social/cultural life during the time.
For example, it published several poems, sonnets, dramas, short stories and literary reviews.
It also published announcements of theater performances, identification of actors/actresses, singers, musicians, and orchestras.
And several announcements for books, textbooks, school supplies
Stay tuned! More of this title to come in the upcoming months.
***Versión en español se encuentra aquí: Introduciendo el Boletín***
