Puerto Rico

PUERTO RICO

A territory of the United States granted under the Treaty of Paris of 1898, Puerto Rico is an island in the West Indies, 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). The agreement, signed December 10 of that year, ended the Spanish-American War (1898) and provided for Cuba's full independence from Spain. The United States was also granted control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands in exchange for $20 million.

The conflict leading up to the Spanish-American War began during the 1870s, when Cubans rebelled against Spanish rule of the tiny island (which measures 3,435 square miles, or 8,897 square kilometers). Once the insurrection was put down, peace on the Caribbean island did not hold: worsening economic conditions prompted revolution in 1895. U.S. President William McKinley (1897–1901) made several diplomatic attempts to pressure Spain to grant Cuba full independence, but to no avail. On April 19, 1898, the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution recognizing an independent Cuba, disclaiming American intentions to acquire the island, and authorizing the use of the American Army and Navy to force Spanish withdrawal. On April 25, the United States formally declared itself at war with Spain. In the months that followed American forces battled the Spanish and Spanish loyalists in Cuba and the Spanish-controlled Philippines. There was also military activity on Puerto Rico, but American forces met little resistance. Once Santiago, Cuba, was surrendered by the Spanish after the battle at San Juan Hill (July, 1898), it was only a matter of weeks before a cease-fire was called and the armistice signed (on August 12), ending the brief war.

The war dissolved the Spanish empire that had once included vast territories on the North American mainland and in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the West Indies. Fulfilling the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, the United States gained long-coveted possessions in the Pacific and in the West Indies. Puerto Rico, which then had a population of about one million people, provided Americans with a base in the Caribbean. In 1917 Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship. In 1952, upon adoption of a constitution, the island became a commonwealth, in union with the United States. As such, Puerto Rico has autonomy in international affairs. The commonwealth status was reproved by the Puerto Rican government in 1967 and again by the people in 1993. The 1993 population was more than 3.6 million. The island's chief products include sugar, tobacco, fruit, livestock, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. Spanish is the principal language, but some English is spoken as well. The U.S. dollar is the official exchange.

See also: Manifest Destiny, Spanish-American War