He joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in 1924 and was able to go up the ranks very until he became President of the Party in 1930. One of the biggest accomplishments of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and led by Don Pedro was the Sugar Cane Workers’ Strike in 1933. Despite the efforts of police chief E. Francis E Riggs in trying to stop the strikes and protests at all costs with violence and extortion, over 9,200 went on strike that year, they could not endure the harsh conditions, the long hours, and barely any pay. He even held a private meeting with Pedro Albizu Campos and offered $150,000, a house, and a governorship. In which meeting Don Pedro stood up and walked away as he said “Puerto Rico no se vende”. Eventually, the workers were able to obtain the rights they fought hard for, 8-hour work days, higher pay, and other benefits.
Don Pedro was first arrested when two members of the party killed Colonel Riggs. When people in Ponce organized a peaceful protest for the arrest of Don Pedro, the authorities started to shoot the protesters, and this is what is known today as the Ponce Massacre. In his first trial a jury of 7 Puerto Ricans and 5 American, they voted 7-5 for acquittal. Then a retrial was permitted this time a jury of just Americans, and he was found guilty and imprisoned in Atlanta, GA. In 1943 he became ill and was hospitalized at the Columbus Hospital where he remained for the rest of his sentence. Then in 1947, he was released, and he returned to Puerto Rico. As Don Pedro arrives in Puerto Rico, Law 53 was passed known as “La Ley de Mordaza” (Gag Law), this law made it illegal to fly the Puerto Rican flag or to speak in favor of Independence, also nothing could be printed, published and distributed in favor of independence. As a result, the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party led many revolts including the Jayuya uprising where a group of Nationalists held the town of Jayuya for three days. There was also an attack on the Governor’s mansion and an attempted assassination of President Truman. As a result of these revolts, Don Pedro was arrested again On 30 October 1950, and he was sentenced to 80 years. He was pardoned in 1953 by Puerto Rico’s governor, Luis Muñoz Marin, who was the first governor voted by the people, governors before then had always been appointed by the US Government. Luis Muñoz Marin had been part of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and a supporter of Don Pedro, but then felt that it was becoming too radical, so he left the party and joined Partido Popular Democratico (PPD). After his pardon, he was soon after arrested when on 1 March 1954 Lolita Lebron, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Andres Figueroa Cordero, and Irvin Flores opened fire on members of the 83rd Congress in a desperate attempt in trying to get worldwide attention to the cause for Puerto Rico’s independence.
By this second arrest, Don Pedro was very ill and his health continued to deteriorate, in 1956 he suffered a stroke while in prison. On 15 November 1964 Luis Muñoz Marin once again pardoned Pedro Albizu Campos. Don Pedro passed on 21 April 1965, at his funeral procession over 75,000 people gathered to say one final goodbye to “El Maestro” and follow his body to his final resting place at the Old San Juan Cemetery.
Sources:
- US Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, Puerto Rico, from New York, NY to San Juan, Puerto Rico, arriving 16 November 1922, Pedro Albizu Campos, line 1 (National Archives, Washington D.C.) record group numer 85.
- Marriage record for Pedro Albizu Campos & Laura Emilia Meneses del Carpio, Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, 8 July 1922 (Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico, San Juan) numero 405, folio 405.
- Death record for Juliana Campo, Ponce, Puerto Rico, 6 November 1895 (Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico, San Juan) defunciones 1895-1897, numero 1183, folio 50.
- “The Birth of Don Pedro”, Remembering Don Pedro an Online History of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos (https://rememberingdonpedro.com/2020/06/06/the-birth-of-don-pedro/)
- Episode 2: Who is Albizu Campos, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgS4BmyBE-k)
- Meneses Albizu-Campos, Cristina, Una Vida de Amor y Sacrificio (Publicaciones Puertorriqueña, Inc, San Juan).
- Puerto Rico Enslavement Records, Antonio Albizu, Ponce, Puerto Rico, 1872, household 6217, database: FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6Z1Y-25SD).