Welcome

José L. Bolívar

Fresneda, Ph.D.

Thank you for visiting this unique archive of Caribbean history post nineteenth century

History has always been a strong passion of mine. In 1998, I decided to attain a doctorate degree in history to learn more about the region I grew up in and the historical context that shaped its development following World War II.

Topics you may find of interest include: the economic history of Puerto Rico during the 1940’s; the challenges the U.S. Navy faced in Vieques; and the economic, social, political, and military aspects affecting Puerto Rico and the Caribbean during the Second World War. Colleagues from multiple academic institutions in the U.S., the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe have collaborated on many of these works.

Currently I am working with Dr. Rafael Simón Arce, a Spanish historian, on a book expounding on the Cuban wars of independence, based on the firsthand testimonies of Emilio Bacardí and Federico Pérez Carbó. Other research projects include a biography of former American governor of Puerto Rico, General Blanton Winship; the collection of the memoirs of Puerto Rican and Caribbean veterans of WWII; and preserving photographs of the era currently held in the personal collections of the participants & their family.