Social problems in Porto Rico

A clear, data‑driven overview of early‑twentieth‑century Puerto Rico, this work gathers the statistics and observations that were previously scattered across reports and academic papers. Designed for classroom use, it sets the stage with basic demographic facts, then turns its focus to the island’s largely rural population, which made up nearly four‑fifths of residents in 1910. The author approaches the material with a measured optimism, acknowledging both the natural beauty of the island and the pressing challenges its people faced.

The book walks readers through a range of topics—overpopulation, housing conditions, labor among women and children, land tenure, poverty, disease, crime, and the state of rural schools—drawing heavily on official surveys and the research of contemporary scholars. By presenting these issues without judgment, it invites students and listeners to consider how social patterns in Puerto Rico echoed those of other societies, and to think about the practical steps that might improve life in the countryside.