Flavius Dede Explained

Flavius Dede
Order1:50th
Office1:Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Term Start1:1 January 1850
Term End1:31 March 1850
Predecessor1:Juan Prats
Successor1:Antonio Fortún
Birth Date:c. 1800
Birth Place:Germany[1]
Death Date:c. 1870
Occupation:Merchant[2] Hacendado[3]

Flavius Dede (c. 1800 – c. 1870) was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1 January 1850 to 31 March 1850.[4] [5]

Background

Dede arrived in Ponce in 1826, presumably --according to Scarano-- lured by the promising prospects of the sugar trade. As a young man, he first worked in the merchant firm of Germany's consul in Ponce, Thomas Davidson. By 1831, Dede had established his own merchant firm together with another German emigre, Ernst W. Overmann. In 1841–1842, the partnership purchased Hacienda Flacas, a large estate consisting of some 250 cuerdas of land. His association with Overmann lasted until 1865 when the civil war in the United States led to a precipitous drop in sugar trade and their hacienda went bankrupt.[6]

Introduction to politics

In 1836, Dede had been one of a team of three assistants to Barrio Playa mayor Sargent Rafael Muñoz.[7] Dede also performed as "2nd mayor" under mayor José de Jesús Fernández in 1846. The position was the result of the new Decreto Orgánico de 1846 (1846 Organic Decree), a new Law for Municipalities that allowed for increased centralization of public administration and greater political control over municipalities.[8] Despite this lack of full political control at the municipal level, the former job allowed Dede to gain administrative experience for his future work as mayor.

See also

References

  1. Francisco Antonio Scarano. Sugar and slavery in Puerto Rico: the municipality of Ponce, 1815-1849. Ph.D. Thesis. Columbia University. 1978. pp. 217-218.
  2. Emilio J. Pasarell. Esculcando el Siglo XIX en Puerto Rico. Barcelona: Manuel Pareja. 1967. p. 54.
  3. Francisco Antonio Scarano. Sugar and slavery in Puerto Rico: the municipality of Ponce, 1815-1849. Ph.D. Thesis. Columbia University. 1978. p. 217.
  4. Socorro Girón. Ponce, el Teatro La Perla y La Campana de la Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 1992. page 52.
  5. Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 2002. p.166.
  6. Francisco Antonio Scarano. Sugar and slavery in Puerto Rico: the municipality of Ponce, 1815-1849. Ph.D. Thesis. Columbia University. 1978. pp. 217-218.
  7. Eli D. Oquendo Rodriguez. A Orillas del Mar Caribe: Boceto histórico de la Playa de Ponce, desde sus primeros habitantes hasta principios del siglo XX.Lajas, Puerto Rico: Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones del Sur Oeste (CEISCO). 2017. p.70.
  8. Emilio J. Pasarell. Esculcando el Siglo XIX en Puerto Rico. Barcelona: M. Pareja. 1967. p.22.