Ana Roque de Duprey was born an only child on April 18, 1853, in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Her mother was a teacher and her father was an educator, inspiring a love of reading in Duprey, ensuring it was a skill the young girl had gained by age three. Unfortunately, her mother died when she turned three in 1856, putting Duprey into the hands of her father, aunt, and grandmother, who were also all educators. Therefore, this upbringing greatly created and fostered Duprey’s love of learning. At age seven, she was sent to a private school, where she completed her studies at twice the rate of her fellow classmates. She graduated at age nine and then further concentrated her studies on the various fields of her favorite subject: science. Specifically, Duprey explored zoology, meteorology, botany, geology, and astronomy.
When she turned eleven, her scientific studies paid off as she became a teacher’s assistant – the youngest one on the island. Two years later, she opened her own school from home. She wrote her own geography textbook for her curriculum, which later became a reference for other schools in the area. This textbook was later adopted by the Puerto Rico Department of Education to be further implemented in local schools. Later, Duprey received her teaching license around 1884.
In 1872, she married Luis Duprey, a well-off landowner as well as a slave owner. Duprey, being an avid abolitionist, made it a condition in her marriage that the slaves were not forced to bow to their master. Upon a successful agreement being made and the wedding, Duprey began to educate the slaves, spreading her vast knowledge and skill of teaching to all those around her, similar to what she was raised to do. This marriage gave Duprey five children, only three of which survived to adulthood. In 1878, her family moved from Aguadilla to the capital, San Juan, where her home quickly became a location of scientific discussion. Local neighbors were often invited over to discuss astronomy as well as other fields, intriguing scientists to stop by as well.
Upon her move to San Juan, Duprey became the first woman allowed to enter the Puerto Rican Athenaeum, the home of the island’s finest performing arts. She also became the first woman to enroll in the San Juan Public Library as she ventured to gain more knowledge, focusing on astronomy and botany. On top of all of this, as her interest in astronomy peaked and her research developed, she also became the first female astronomer in all of Puerto Rico, earning her an honorary membership in the Paris Society of Astronomers in 1877. Moreover, she shared her vast knowledge of space by offering astronomy classes to locals in her free time.
Duprey’s husband died in 1880, leaving her on her own to feed three growing children. In a desperate attempt to secure work, Duprey took a public school teaching position in Arecibo, a municipality about 50 miles west of her home in San Juan. As Duprey needed more money and wanted to expand her horizons and education, she soon earned her Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and Science from the Provincial Institute. This degree allowed her to work as a writer for many newspapers, including El Mundo, El Buscapie, and El Imparcial, often discussing political injustice. Her experience allowed her to publish her own newspaper in 1893 entitled La Mujer, the first publication in Puerto Rico designed for women. From here, her extensive writing experience allowed her to publish many books, such as Sara, La Obrera, and Luz Y Sombra, a symbolic women’s rights story about two friends, one of which pursues marriage and the other of which pursues her passions.
Her most famous book, Botanica Antillana (Botany of Antilles), included more than 600 species of trees and plants. This book became the most descriptive and comprehensive study of botany and flora on the island despite having been written by a woman. The book was never published due to her female status, but the recent discovery of her work has vastly improved modern-day sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico. Her knowledge of botany earned her the nickname “Flor de Valle,” or flower of the valley. This is further proven in her publication of Puerto Rican Flora, earning an award from the Fourth Century Christian Civilization Organization.
Shortly after creating her numerous publications and works, she was appointed the director of the Normal School of San Juan, where she also was offered a position teaching English. In 1902, her immense love for education inspired her to found the College of Mayaguez, which was later added as a campus for the University of Puerto Rico in 1966. Duprey’s work in education was influential on many of her students as well as scientific advancements for women in her country– however, Duprey did not stop there. Besides her scientific and teaching aspirations, Duprey had a clear knack for politics.
In 1917, Duprey founded the first women’s suffrage organization on the island, known as “The Puerto Rican Feminine League.” As she fought for women to have the right to vote, her goals evolved, and her league changed into the “Suffragist Social League” in 1921, advocating for women to be able to hold political office as well. Duprey’s organizations worked tirelessly to earn women the right to vote, and in 1929, suffrage for all literate Puerto Rican women was passed.
In 1932, Duprey received an honorary doctorate from the University of Puerto Rico and also became the honorary president of the Puerto Rican Liberal Party. Duprey died in Rios Piedras in 1933, two years before all Puerto Rican women earned the right to work. There are two schools named after her – a high school in Humacao and an elementary school in Chicago. Furthermore, she was a 2020 honoree of the National Women’s History Alliance, showing the profound mark she made for her time period. Duprey was an educator, vast scientist, groundbreaking botanist, and political activist. Her legacy changed the economy and politics of the island she calls home. Her work not only gained women the right to vote but also gave women political voice. Her scientific accomplishments earned women respect in botany and astronomy, and her literature proved the power of female authors. Duprey’s work across various fields immensely paved the way for women to enjoy the opportunities we do today.
Why Did I Choose to Research Ana Roque de Duprey?
I chose to research Ana Roque de Duprey because she was an incredibly influential person across many fields, such as politically, scientifically, and in the world of literature. Despite having limited respect, she still pursued politics and suffrage, teaching, botany, and astronomy. Her array of passions reminds women everywhere that we do not have to train ourselves to be good at one thing - we can explore our interests and try her passions out. Her diverse passions and immense success within each one inspired me to research her. I am grateful she did what she did across so many fields to remind everyone women can be good at more than one thing. Her work allowed me to be an athlete, an actor, and a nerd instead of choosing just one passion.
Works Cited
Brandman, Mariana. “Ana Roque de Duprey.” National Women’s History Museum, 2022, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ana-roque-de-duprey.
Staff, RS. “Ana Roque de Duprey, Botanist, Educator, and Suffragist.” Medium, 2022, medium.com/rediscover-steam/ana-roqu%C3%A9-de-duprey-botanist-educator-suffragist-fc774e2510fb.
Valley, Diablo. “Suffragists You Need to Meet: Anna Roque Duprey (1853-1933).” League of Women Voters, my.lwv.org/california/diablo-valley/article/suffragists-you-need-meet-anna-roqu%C3%A9-duprey-1853-%E2%80%93-1933. Accessed 2024.
“Ana Roque de Duprey (1853-1933).” Women Education, womenx.org/ana-roque-de-duprey/. Accessed 2024.
This article was published on 10/23/24