Mallorca and Puerto Rico: a history that links two islands

Today, Puerto Rico and Mallorca seem like two unrelated islands. However, during the 19th century, thousands of Mallorcans crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life. They left their mark on trade, on the coffee plantations, on architecture, on cuisine and even on the surnames that are still part of Puerto Rican society today.

Why did the Mallorcans emigrate?

Mallorca’s economy in the 19th century was primarily agricultural, although this was not always a very profitable activity. Population growth often led to high rates of unemployment, very low agricultural wages and general discontent.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the countryside on our island suffered a major blow with the phylloxera plague, which destroyed hundreds of hectares of vineyards. The most important industrial sector, footwear manufacturing, also went into decline, and these two circumstances left a great many families without work. Emigration emerged as the best solution to this difficult situation.

Why and where to emigrate?

The agricultural crisis, the industrial crisis, the lack of opportunities and even avoiding military service. The dream of emigrating and returning after having made one’s fortune. And why not… the desire for adventure. It is likely that all these circumstances led thousands of people to seek a better future elsewhere. The favourite destinations for Mallorcans were France, Algeria and, in the Americas, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

But in this post we will focus on Puerto Rico, which welcomed countless Mallorcans as their new homeland.

King Carlos III and the free trade regulations

In 1765, King Carlos III began to liberalise the monopoly on trade with the Americas held by Seville and Cádiz. A little later, in 1778, Palma de Mallorca was included as one of the 13 ports authorised for trade with the Americas.

And so the Mallorcans not only had a greater opportunity to send their goods there, but also to discover those lands.

The first Mallorcans in Puerto Rico

Sóller is nestled in a deep valley and, at that time, had very poor transport links with Palma, which made it very difficult for people to travel and for trade to take place. It is hardly surprising that, given the enterprising nature of the people of Sóller, many decided to pack their bags and emigrate. Various historians consider Mr Juan Marqués i Marqués, from Ca’n Alic, to be the first person from Sóller to emigrate to Puerto Rico in 1837. From then on, many other Mallorcans set out to follow in his footsteps.

What was the journey like?

Several schooners (the ‘Palma’, the ‘Victoria’ and the ‘Anibal’, amongst others) sailed the route between Mallorca and the Antilles. These were large sailing vessels with a displacement of over 100 tonnes, carrying all kinds of goods, the most common being olive oil, wine, almond flour, capers, spirits, soap, esparto grass, fabrics, shirts, hats and footwear – all produced here on our island.

In addition to these goods, there was also room for passengers – emigrants seeking a better future in America. The journey was not an easy one, with many people crammed into a small space and living in very precarious conditions. If the weather was favourable, the crossing could take around 50 days.

Main towns of departure

Palma, Sóller, Artá, Felanitx, Manacor, Pollensa and Inca were the towns from which most Mallorcans set sail for Puerto Rico.

Arrival in Puerto Rico

It was very common for people to emigrate to a particular destination because a friend or acquaintance from their home village had already done so. For example, in Guayama and Mayagüez, the most common emigrants were from Artá, whilst in Lares and Adjuntas, those from Sóller predominated. Mallorcans already settled in Puerto Rico would often welcome their fellow islanders and provide them with work or help them find it.

They were mainly involved in trade and agriculture, and they particularly excelled in coffee farming, as the coffee produced in Puerto Rico was of excellent quality. They also set up and worked in prosperous rum distilleries such as Ron El Mensajero, Ron Ancla and Ron Pizá.

Others went on to build successful careers in the liberal professions, excelling as doctors or pharmacists, etc., as well as in the military or in important positions in local politics.

Some emblematic establishments

One of the best-known businesses was ‘Los Muchachos’, where many young Mallorcans who had recently arrived found their first job and learnt the ropes of trade and business.

The restaurant “La Mallorquina” was founded in 1848 in Old San Juan, as was the café “La Bombonera”, which until recently continued to serve ensaimadas, known in Puerto Rico as Mallorcas.

Some coffee plantations, such as “La Mayol” and “La Balear”, and sugar mills such as “La Central Sóller”, owned by the Marqués family, were particularly prosperous and significant in their day.

Hacienda La Mayol

The return to Mallorca, the “Indianos”

This was the name given to those who had returned from ‘the Indies’ after making their fortune. And, in a way, it was important to display the success they had achieved – whether by building a striking mansion or an iconic building, or by making significant investments.

And this is precisely what some residents of Sóller did upon their return from Puerto Rico; they were the driving force behind the Banco de Sóller, the Sóller railway and other major businesses linked to gas or electricity.

What remains in Puerto Rico today

Some towns have typically Mallorcan names, such as ‘Palmer’, ‘Rafael Capó’ or ‘Castañer’. Not to mention the countless people with Mallorcan ancestry, such as the Cañellas, Guasp or Rosselló families, amongst many others. In fact, one of the most recent governors of Puerto Rico (until 2019) was Ricardo Rosselló.

It is possible that, after more than 100 years under American influence, many Puerto Ricans are no longer so aware of their origins. But what they certainly enjoy immensely is tucking into some delicious “Mallorcas”, which is the name they give to the ensaimadas made there.

Final thoughts

More than a century later, the story of those emigrants remains very much alive. It lives on in surnames, buildings, old family businesses and in those curious ‘Mallorcas’ that are reminiscent of our island’s ensaimada. These are small reminders of the close relationship between Mallorca and Puerto Rico, which still today unites these two islands so far apart.

To find out a little more

Perhaps you have distant relatives in Puerto Rico, or perhaps an ancestor of yours emigrated and returned from there. Or you are simply interested in this kind of life adventure and would like to know a little more about it.

If so, we recommend 2 works:

Documental: https://www.filmin.es/corto/haciendo-las-americas-de-mallorca-a-puerto-rico

Short novel: “Un mallorquí a Puerto Rico” The adventure of an indiano, by Carmel Bonnín.