Fort San Cristóbal
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The Castillo de San Cristóbal is a Spanish fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was built by the Spaniards to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site.
Historical timeline
1521 - San Juan founded by Spanish settlers from Caparra.
1539 - Construction of the first fortified defenses at Fort San Felipe del Morro and La Fortaleza, with batteries aimed at the harbor entrance.
1625 - The Dutch attack and take San Juan from the land side. Construction of some form of defense for San Cristóbal Hill ordered to prevent other attacks from the land side.
1634 - A small redoubt is built on the high ground known as San Cristóbal on the northeast side of San Juan.
1765-1783 - Main period of construction of San Cristóbal as we see it today under the directions of Royal Engineers Tornis O'Daly and Juan Mestre.
1797 - San Cristóbal helps repel the attack (largest ever to Spanish territories in America) on San Juan from the land side by a British invasion force of 7,000 - 14,000 men commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby halted a mile from San Cristóbal at the Escambrón first line of defense.
1855 - Mutiny by the San Cristóbal artillery brigade against the Spanish crown. The castle is held by rebels for 24 hours causing panic in the city when the cannons are turned around and aimed at the city.
1897 -A large segment of 18th century walls are dynamited from San Cristóbal to the harbor docks to allow San Juan to expand.
1898 - On May 10 1898, the first shot which marked Puerto Rico's entry into the Spanish-American War was shot at the USS Yale from Fort San Cristobal's cannon batteries. Fort San Cristóbal's gunners duel with US Navy warships during a day long bombardment May 12 1898. Six months later Puerto Rico becomes US territory by terms of the Treaty of Paris which ends the Spanish-American War.
1942 - Still an active military base when World War I breaks out, concrete pillboxes and an underground bunker control center are added to the ancient defenses of Fort San Cristobal.
1949 - San Juan National Historic Site is established.
1961 - The US Army moves out of the forts of Old San Juan, and they become the jurisdiction of the United StatesNational Park Service, to be preserved solely as museums.
1983 - San Juan National Historic Site is declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.
Castillo de San Cristóbal lies about five minutes driving distance from Fort San Felipe del Morro.
External links
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