Operation Bootstrap ("Operación Manos a la Obra") is the name given to the ambitious projects which industrialized Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century. Teodoro Moscoso is referred to as the architect of Operation Bootstrap. Under this program, which began in 1948, the island became increasingly industrialized. Envisioning that a densely populated island like Puerto Rico with now over 1000 persons per square mile, could not subsist on an agrarian system. The goverment [Departamento de Fomento (Industrial)] encouraged the establishment of factories. Puerto Rico enticed US companies by providing labor at costs below those on the mainland, access to US markets without import duties, and profits that could enter the country free from federal tazation. Fomento invited investment of external capital, importing the raw materials, and exporting the finished products to the U.S. market. To entice participation, tax exemptions and differential rental rates were offered for industrial facilities. As a result, Puerto Rico's economy shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing and tourism. The manufacturing sector has shifted from the original labor-intensive industries, such as the manufacturing of food, tobacco, leather, and apparel products, to more capital-intensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery, and electronics. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Teodoro Moscoso Teodoro Moscoso (November 26, 1910-June 15, 1992 born in Barcelona, Spain), was a Puerto Rican politician known as the architect of Operation Bootstrap. Early Years Moscosos parents were Teodoro Moscoso Sr. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... material is the substance or matter from which something is or can be made, or also items needed for doing or creating something. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Beaches make popular tourist resorts Tourist redirects here; for the album by Athlete, see Tourist (album) Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

Through this project, a rural agricultural society was transformed into a industrial working class. Although initially touted as an economic miracle, by the 1960s, Operation Bootstrap was increasingly hampered by a growing unemployment problem . As living standards and wages rose, manpower-intensive industries faced competition from outside the United States. The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ... The Standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people. ...

Resources

• Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation
• History of Puerto Rico(1900-1949)
• Puerto Rican economy
• About.com - Puerto Rico