French immigration to Puerto Rico  From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search French immigration to
Puerto Rico Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Notable Puerto Ricans of
French Ancestry  Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier.jpgJose guatier
Benitez.JPG MGtavarez.jpgFermín Tangüis.jpg First row:
Alejandrina Benítez de Gautier • José Gautier Benítez Second
row: Manuel Gregorio Tavárez • Fermín Tangüis  Location of the
island of Puerto Rico (green)  The French immigration to Puerto
Rico came about as a result of the economic and political
situations which occurred in various places such as Louisiana
(USA), Saint-Domingue (Haiti) and in Europe.  Another factor
which encouraged French immigration to the island was the
revival of the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. The Spanish Crown
decided that one of the ways to end the pro-independence
movement in Puerto Rico was to allow Europeans who were not of
Spanish origin and who swore loyalty to the Spanish Crown to
settle in the island. Therefore, the decree was