City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 The New Deal in Puerto Rico: Public Works, Public Health, and the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration, 1935-1955 Geoff G. Burrows Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/315 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact:
[email protected] THE NEW DEAL IN PUERTO RICO: PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE PUERTO RICO RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION, 1935-1955 by GEOFF G. BURROWS A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2014 © 2014 GEOFF G. BURROWS All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Laird W. Bergad ____________________ _____________________________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee Helena Rosenblatt ____________________ _____________________________________________ Date Executive Officer David Nasaw Gerald Markowitz Herman Bennett Teresita Levy Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract THE NEW DEAL IN PUERTO RICO: PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE PUERTO RICO RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION, 1935-1955 by GEOFF G. BURROWS Advisor: Laird W. Bergad During the 1930s, Puerto Rico experienced acute infrastructural and public health crises caused by the economic contraction of the Great Depression, the devastating San Felipe and San Ciprián hurricanes of 1928 and 1932, and the limitations of the local political structure.