The Arawaks have reached the Greater Antilles (specifically, Puerto Rico) by 200, and have begun to either intermingle with or displace the simple gatherer-society of the Ciboneys.

Venezuela’s Saladoid peoples migrate to the Caribbean Islands after apparently being driven from the Orinoco delta.

The Arawaks, including the largest representative group, the Taíno, have reached the Greater Antilles (specifically, Puerto Rico), and have begun to either intermingle or displace the simple gatherer-society of the Ciboneys.

Of the two schools of thought regarding the origin of the indigenous people of the West Indies, one group contends that the Arawakan ancestors of the Taíno came from the center of the Amazon Basin, subsequently moving to the Orinoco valley.

From there they reached the West Indies by way of Guyana and Venezuela into Trinidad, proceeding along the Lesser Antilles all the way to Cuba and the Bahamian archipelago.

Evidence that supports this theory includes the tracing of the ancestral cultures of these people to the Orinoco Valley and their languages to the Amazon Basin.

The alternate theory, known as the circum-Caribbean theory, contends that the ancestors of the Taíno diffused from the Colombian Andes.

Julian H. Steward, the theory's originator, suggested a radiation from the Andes to the West Indies and a parallel radiation into Central America and into the Guianas, Venezuela and the Amazon Basin.

Ponce de León decides to return to Hispaniola by early 1509.

His expedition has collected a good quantity of the precious metal but is running low on food and supplies.

The expedition is deemed a great success and Ovando appoints Ponce de León governor of San Juan Bautista.

This appointment is later confirmed by Ferdinand II on August 14, 1509.

He is instructed to extend the settlement of the island and continue mining for gold.

The new governor returns to the island as instructed, bringing with him his wife and children.

Significant changes are taking place in the politics and government of the Spanish West Indies even as Ponce de León is settling the island of San Juan.

On July 10, 1509, Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus, had arrived in Hispaniola as acting Viceroy, replacing Nicolás de Ovando.

For several years, Diego Colón had been waging a legal battle over his rights to inherit the titles and privileges granted to his father.

The Crown regrets the sweeping powers that had been granted to Columbus and his heirs and seeks to establish more direct control in the New World.

In spite of the Crown's opposition, Colón had prevailed in court and Ferdinand had been required to appoint him Viceroy.

Although the courts had ordered that Ponce de León should remain in office, Colón had circumvented this directive on October 28, 1509 by appointing Juan Ceron chief justice and Miguel Diaz chief constable of the island, effectively overriding the authority of the governor.

This situation prevails until March 2, 1510 when Ferdinand issues orders reaffirming Ponce de León's position as governor.

Ponce de León then has Ceron and Diaz arrested and sent back to Spain.

Ponce de León, back on his island, had parceled out the native Taínos among himself and other settlers using a system of forced labor known as encomienda.

The Spanish colonists had at first been well treated by the island’s Arawak inhabitants, but relations with the locals had quickly deteriorated when the Spaniards force the natives to grow food crops and mine for gold.

Many of the Spaniards treat the Taínos very harshly and newly introduced diseases like smallpox and measles take a severe toll on the local population.

A series of minor uprisings culminates in June 1511, when the cacique Agueybana II foments an island-wide revolt.

Ponce de León, informed of Agueybana’s plan, assembles one hundred and twenty Spaniards armed with crossbows and arquebuses, marches through the forests, and attacks Agueybana and his forces while they sleep, killing hundreds of Arawaks.

Agueybana and other escapees from the violence attack the Spaniards several days later but are defeated in battle, during which Agueybana himself is killed.

The surviving Arawak warriors retreat, some concluding peace with Ponce de León, others fleeing to neighboring islands to join forces with their former enemies, the Caribs.

The political struggle between Colón and Ponce de León continue.

Ponce de León has influential supporters in Spain and Ferdinand regards him as a loyal servant.

However, Colón's position as Viceroy makes him a powerful opponent and eventually it becomes clear that Ponce de León's position on San Juan is not tenable.

Finally, on November 28, 1511, Ceron returns from Spain and is officially reinstated as governor.

Rumors of undiscovered islands to the northwest of Hispaniola had reached Spain by 1511, and Ferdinand is interested in forestalling further exploration and discovery by Colón.

In an effort to reward Ponce de León for his services, Ferdinand urges him to seek these new lands outside the authority of Colón.

Ponce de León readily agrees to a new venture, and in February 1512 a royal contract is dispatched outlining his rights and authorities to search for "the Islands of Benimy".

The contract stipulates that Ponce de León hold exclusive rights to the discovery of Benimy and neighboring islands for the next three years.

He will be governor for life of any lands he discovers, but he is expected to finance for himself all costs of exploration and settlement.

In addition, the contract gives specific instructions for the distribution of gold, Native Americans, and other profits extracted from the new lands.

Notably, there is no mention of a rejuvenating fountain.

Ponce de León equips three ships with at least two hundred men at his own expense and sets out from Puerto Rico on March 4, 1513.

The only near contemporary description known for this expedition comes from Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, a Spanish historian who apparently had access to the original ships' logs or related secondary sources from which he creates a summary of the voyage published in 1601.

The brevity of the account and occasional gaps in the record have led historians to speculate and dispute many details of the voyage.

The three ships in this small fleet are the Santiago, the San Cristobal and the Santa Maria de la Consolacion.

Anton de Alaminos is their chief pilot.

He is already an experienced sailor, and will become one of the most respected pilots in the region.

Ponce de León reaches Puerto Rico on October 19 after having been away for almost eight months.

The other ship, after further explorations, will return safely on February 20, 1514.

The first enslaved West Africans had arrived in Puerto Rico in 1518, seven years after the Spaniards introduced sugarcane to the island.

Juan Ponce de León had founded the original Spanish settlement in Puerto Rico at Caparra (named after the province of Cáceres, Spain, the birthplace of then-governor of Spain's Caribbean territories Nicolás de Ovando), which today is known as the Pueblo Viejo sector of Guaynabo, just to the west of the present San Juan metropolitan area.

However, the air is not salubrious and the mendicant friar have insisted on moving the settlement closer to the bay and to the sea, complaining that the infants are dying.

Their predilection is the Islet of Puerto Rico ("rich port" or "good port"), because of its similar geographical features to the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.

It is not until the end of Ponce de León's tenure as governor that they have their wish.

By 1521, the move is complete and it is known as "Villa de Puerto Rico."

With time the name of the island, San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico, trades places with what is now the capital of Puerto Rico: John the Baptist.

Construction begins in 1532 on San José Church in San Juan, one of the first significant works of architecture on the Puerto Rico.