Today In History: 157 Years Old Puerto Rico, The Last Remaining Colony In The Americas

Jules Cambon, then French Ambassador to the U.S signing the treaty of paris in 1898.

Tuesday September 21, 2024

Puerto Rican self-autonomy aspiration however can be traced back to Ramon Emeterio Betances, a political leader born on the island, he became influenced by French Republicanism ideals after his Parisian education from 1837 to 1855.

Upon his return in Puerto Rico the following year, he defended the separation and independence of the island from Spain while advocating for a broader union of the Antilles to counter and prevent foreign incursion into their sovereignties.

He led the unsuccessful 1868 uprising against Spanish rule known as the Grito de Lares, on September 23, 1868 where around 400 rebels took up arms against local authorities and proclaimed the existence of Puerto Rico, with a provisional government at its head.

This emepheral experiment at self-determination was nullified by the short but consequential 1898 Spanish-American war which resulted in the U.S. wrestling Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and Cuba away from Spain.

1898 & The End of Spanish Rule

By 1897, Puerto Rico had achieved a degree of autonomy from Spain through a "Charter of Autonomy," which gave the island the ability to legislate on local matters. However, this period ended with:

U.S. invasion: On July 25, 1898, the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War, which only lasted 113 days, but resulted in one of the most catastrophic losses for the 400 years old Spanish empire .

Puerto Rico became part of the U.S governing system following the Treaty of Paris in 1898, which resulted with Spain ceding control of the Caribbean island to the United States.

It was the first overseas war waged by the U.S with a European state; the first modern war where new military equipments and other tools were first used in a war. - armored battleships, observation balloons, telephones, repeating firearms, and Catling guns - and transportation of great masses of war materiel and troops for thousands of miles by rail and steamship.

It was the first modern war with media coverage by means of telephone, telegraph, illustrations, photography, newspapers and motion pictures.

Spain in contrast, was not as technology advanced as the U.S; American merchants and businesses already were operating on the island despite the restrictive rules of Spain’s colonial mercantilist policies; the US had gradually became the island main commerce partner accounting for around 40% of its exports, primarily coffee, sugar and tobacco; the local population did not fully oppose the invasion and the elites welcomed the American presence, exacerbating the growing political and social divisions between Spain and Its remaining colonies.

The Spanish-American war shattered Spain’s illusions of world dominance and force the declining kingdom to face the realities of new age of world politics, with all the economic, political, technological and military advances of a new power.

The war formally ended with the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898. Under its terms, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States and a protectorate agreement for Cuba.

Post-1898: American Colonial Rule

The U.S. occupation effectively halted the progress Puerto Rico had made toward self-governance and changed the independence movement's demands from Spain to the U.S.

Military government: The U.S. imposed a military government on the island, disappointing Puerto Rican political leaders who were denied political recognition.
Shift in independence: As the U.S. took control, Betances feared American interventionism. He had previously warned against the dangers of U.S. imperialism, declaring, "I don't want a colony status, neither with Spain nor with the United States".

The intentions of the U.S government were clear from the onset of the war; in a letter dated May 24, 1898 Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge wrote to President Theodore Roosevelt, that “Porto Rico is not forgotten and we mean to have it.”

The U.S government quickly outlawed the use of Spanish in official Puerto Rican business and mandated English as the language of instruction in schools.

The Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1917, which mandated citizenship for all Puerto Ricans signaled U.S official intent to retain permanent possession of the island.

The Act additionally granted statutory birthright United States citizenship to anyone born on the island on or after April 11, 1899.

The United States, for the past 127 years, has maintained firm control of the island economically, militarily and politically.

However the Island lacks full sovereignty and full representation in the U.S government. As example, the Puerto Rican Delegate to the House of Representatives can only vote in congressional committees, not in full floor votes, and Puerto Ricans living on the Island cannot vote on Presidential Election.

Puerto Rico has held seven referendums (also called plebiscites) on its political status since 1967. While the options and exact wording have varied over time, the votes have generally focused on three choices: independence, statehood, or the current commonwealth status. The results of these non-binding votes are often highly debated due to boycotts and varying interpretations.

Puerto Rican Status Referendums

1967: Commonwealth status received 60.4% of the vote. Statehood received 39% and independence received 0.6%.
1993: Commonwealth status again led with 48.9% of the vote, narrowly defeating statehood at 46.6%. Independence received 4.5%.
1998: The option for "none of the above" won with 50.5% of the vote. This was largely due to a boycott organized by the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), who felt the definition of the commonwealth option on the ballot was misleading.
2012: This referendum had two parts. In the first question, 54% of voters rejected the current territorial status. In the second question, statehood was the top choice with 61.2% of the votes counted, but this result was controversial because over 470,000 blank ballots were cast, which critics argued made the outcome inconclusive.
2017: Statehood won with 97.2% of the vote, but turnout was only 23% due to a boycott by pro-commonwealth and pro-independence parties. Many viewed the low turnout and manipulated ballot language as undermining the results.
2020: In a simple "yes" or "no" vote on statehood, the "yes" option received 52.5% of the vote with a 55% turnout.
2024: This most recent referendum, held in November, presented voters with three options: statehood, independence, or sovereign free association. Statehood received 58% of the vote, while independence received 29% and free association 12%. A notable aspect of this vote was the exclusion of the "current status" option, prompting few opposition groups to cast blank ballots.

A Time Magazine Article (2024) best emphasized how “Puerto Rico cannot become a state of the Union unless Congress admits it. It cannot become independent unless Congress agrees to it. It cannot enter into a free association arrangement unless Congress provides for it.”

Suggested Reading:


https://www.worldatlas.com/modern-world/spanish-american-war.html

https://lares.pr.gov/mi_municipio/la-ruta-del-grito/  https://en.enciclopediapr.org/content/ramon-emeterio-betances/

   https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/ncm-8/history-independence-movement.pdf

 https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/64500545.pdf  

https://www.worldatlas.com/modern-world/spanish-american-war.html 

 https://news.fiu.edu/2023/puerto-rico-has-been-part-of-the-us-for-125-years-but-its-future-remains-contested

  https://time.com/7024574/puerto-rico-status-vote/

Today In History: 157 Years Old Puerto Rico, The Last Remaining Colony In The Americas

Jules Cambon, then French Ambassador to the U.S signing the treaty of paris in 1898.

By 1897, Puerto Rico had achieved a degree of autonomy from Spain through a "Charter of Autonomy," which gave the island the ability to legislate on local matters. However, this period ended with:

U.S. invasion: On July 25, 1898, the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War, which only lasted 113 days, but resulted in one of the most catastrophic losses for the 400 years old Spanish empire .

Puerto Rico became part of the U.S governing system following the Treaty of Paris in 1898, which resulted with Spain ceding control of the Caribbean island to the United States.

The war formally ended with the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898. Under its terms, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States and a protectorate agreement for Cuba.

Post-1898: American Colonial Rule

The U.S. occupation effectively halted the progress Puerto Rico had made toward self-governance and changed the independence movement's demands from Spain to the U.S.

Military government: The U.S. imposed a military government on the island, disappointing Puerto Rican political leaders who were denied political recognition.

Shift in independence: As the U.S. took control, Betances feared American interventionism. He had previously warned against the dangers of U.S. imperialism, declaring, "I don't want a colony status, neither with Spain nor with the United States".

The United States, for the past 127 years, has maintained firm control of the island economically, militarily and politically.

Puerto Rican Status Referendums

1967: Commonwealth status received 60.4% of the vote. Statehood received 39% and independence received 0.6%.

1993: Commonwealth status again led with 48.9% of the vote, narrowly defeating statehood at 46.6%. Independence received 4.5%.

1998: The option for "none of the above" won with 50.5% of the vote. This was largely due to a boycott organized by the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), who felt the definition of the commonwealth option on the ballot was misleading.

2017: Statehood won with 97.2% of the vote, but turnout was only 23% due to a boycott by pro-commonwealth and pro-independence parties. Many viewed the low turnout and manipulated ballot language as undermining the results.

2020: In a simple "yes" or "no" vote on statehood, the "yes" option received 52.5% of the vote with a 55% turnout.

Today In History: 157 Years Old Puerto Rico, The Last Remaining Colony In The Americas

Jules Cambon, then French Ambassador to the U.S signing the treaty of paris in 1898.

By 1897, Puerto Rico had achieved a degree of autonomy from Spain through a "Charter of Autonomy," which gave the island the ability to legislate on local matters. However, this period ended with:

U.S. invasion: On July 25, 1898, the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War, which only lasted 113 days, but resulted in one of the most catastrophic losses for the 400 years old Spanish empire .

Puerto Rico became part of the U.S governing system following the Treaty of Paris in 1898, which resulted with Spain ceding control of the Caribbean island to the United States.

The war formally ended with the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898. Under its terms, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States and a protectorate agreement for Cuba.Post-1898: American Colonial Rule

The U.S. occupation effectively halted the progress Puerto Rico had made toward self-governance and changed the independence movement's demands from Spain to the U.S.

Military government: The U.S. imposed a military government on the island, disappointing Puerto Rican political leaders who were denied political recognition.

Shift in independence: As the U.S. took control, Betances feared American interventionism. He had previously warned against the dangers of U.S. imperialism, declaring, "I don't want a colony status, neither with Spain nor with the United States".

The United States, for the past 127 years, has maintained firm control of the island economically, militarily and politically.

Puerto Rican Status Referendums

1967: Commonwealth status received 60.4% of the vote. Statehood received 39% and independence received 0.6%.

1993: Commonwealth status again led with 48.9% of the vote, narrowly defeating statehood at 46.6%. Independence received 4.5%.

1998: The option for "none of the above" won with 50.5% of the vote. This was largely due to a boycott organized by the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), who felt the definition of the commonwealth option on the ballot was misleading.

2017: Statehood won with 97.2% of the vote, but turnout was only 23% due to a boycott by pro-commonwealth and pro-independence parties. Many viewed the low turnout and manipulated ballot language as undermining the results.

2020: In a simple "yes" or "no" vote on statehood, the "yes" option received 52.5% of the vote with a 55% turnout.

The war formally ended with the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898. Under its terms, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States and a protectorate agreement for Cuba.

Post-1898: American Colonial Rule