José Celso Barbosa Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Dr. José Celso Barbosa (1857-1921), born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, was a medical doctor, sociologist, and political leader. He was also the first black to attend Puerto Rico's prestigious Jesuit Seminary.Barbosa is known as the "Father of the Statehood for Puerto Rico movement. He formed the pro-statehood Puerto Rican Republican Party on July 4, 1899 as an aftermath of the Spanish-American War in which Puerto Rico became a territory of the U.S.
In 1893, Barbosa founded the first Puerto Rican cooperative and named it "El Ahorro Colectivo". In 1907, he established the newspaper "El Tiempo".
Barbosa held a seat in the Puerto Rican Senate until his death in 1921.
Barbosa's house in Bayamon was converted into a museum in which many of his awards, certificates, books and other artifacts of interest are exhibited.