Puerto Rico Imperialism

For most of its history, Puerto Rico has been controlled by an outside power, and its people oppressed. While Puerto Rico is currently a U.S. territory, Spanish colonialism has had a significant impact on the island’s development and identity. The history of the island itself is proof of this fact, demonstrating each step Puerto Rico took to reach its current state. By examining the stages of Spanish control that Puerto Rico experienced, we can determine how each stage affected the structure and identity of Puerto Rico.

Juan Gonzalez discusses the historical relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. in Harvest of an Empire, interestingly enough the author’s family were a part of the surge of Puerto Ricans emigrated to New York in 1946. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris the Spanish-American War came to a close with Puerto Rico now under the control of the U.S. along with Cuba, Guam, and the Philippians. In 1900 the Foraker Act established Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory, but it had less autonomy than when under the control of Spain. The Foraker Act allowed the U.S. to dominate the economy of Puerto Ricans by replacing the peso with the dollar and not allowing for any outside commercial treaties. Challenges were unsuccessful with the dreadful ruling

Established in 1961, the Special Committee of Decolonization is a body of the United Nations, an international bureaucratic agency, working towards the just treatment and interaction of Non-Self-Governing individuals. This body still operates in the present day. The Special Committee of Decolonization defines Non-Self-Governing Territories “whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government”. (United Nations 2017) In essence, a nation where foreign, commonly colonial powers dictate the lives of people who have and maintain rich, diverse, historical, and cultural existence in the world for millennia. And while The Special Committee of Decolonization, works towards the decolonization of these nations, they fail to end the scourge of informal imperialism.

Puerto Rico is an island that is impacted by not having enough land for cultivation. The Three thousand four hundred and ninety-two square miles of this island is about seventy-five percent hills or mountains (Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States b). With the large amount of land consisting of hill or mountains, Puerto Rico has limited amounts of natural resources. While under Spanish colonial rule, the island was largely neglected because of its limited mineral resources. Following the Spanish-American war in 1898, the U.S. took over control of the island. The U.S. found itself in control of an island that produced small scale amounts of sugar and coffee. The U.S would then expand the sugarcane operations and establish markets to use as a viable trade resource.

The commonwealth status of Puerto Rico between the 1950-1952 was with limited autonomy since the Island was still under the Sovereignty of the United States (Francesco, C. & Eugene, 1999). The United States annexed Puerto Rico following the end of the Spanish-American War. For almost a century Puerto Rico has been under the influence of the United States. The constitutional convention of 1952 gave Puerto Rico the right to form a republican government.

Puerto Rico is an archipelago that is currently a territory of the United States of America with its official name being, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; however, it is often referred to by Puerto Ricans as Borinquen, a term derived from the name given to the island by its original Taíno natives, Borikén. The Taíno natives were the last group of people to live on the island unphased by the outside world and are also the most well known pre-columbian settlement of Borinquen due to the greater number of archaeological remains and Spanish documents from the era; the period the Taíno people inhabited the island is currently known as the Taíno phase (Picó 12).

The United States gained control of the island of Puerto Rico as a result of the Spanish American war in 1898, claiming its intention to "free" the island from Spanish colonialism. When the United States took possession of the island, Puerto Rico became merely that, a controlled possession given little or insignificant power in many facets of Puerto Rican life. In a matter of a few months, Puerto Rico moved from being a Spanish possession to an American one, and this changing of hands had many implications on the status of Puerto Rico, politically economically, and socially.

In Reproducing Empire, Laura Briggs provides her readers with a very thorough history of the mainland U.S. and Puerto Rican discourses and its authors surrounding Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans, from Puerto Rico's formation in the mainland elite's "mind" as a model U.S. (not) colony in 1898* to its present status as semi-autonomous U.S.

Records show that Puerto Ricans were doubtful that the Spanish would grant them the autonomy that was promised to them on 1987. Puerto Ricans admired the United Sates for gaining independence from the British and they truly believed that the United States would be more likely to allow them sovereignty and be fairer than being under Spain. “The people of Puerto Rico felt assured that their island would be granted independence or eventually become a state, and that either of these possibilities would ensure greater prosperity…”(Flores P. 73). After the “splendid little war” a peaceful treaty known as the The Treaty of Paris was signed by the United States and Spanish

The United States gained Puerto Rico in 1898 through the Treaty of Paris, signed after the Spanish-American. Although the Puerto Rican community initially embraced U.S. intervention in 1898, hoping that the land of the free would finally bring liberty to the island, the following years were full of disillusionment. The sad reality was that the U.S. had no intention of ever giving up control of Puerto Rico because of its strategic location in the Caribbean. The United States government tried to Americanize the island. Which was acceptable for the island in the eyes of the elite until their power was being threatened. The elite’s on the island looked to the Jibaro as their symbol of national identity.

Puerto Rico has been under US sovereignty since the Spanish American War in 1898, where United States gained territorial control of Puerto Rico, along with Philippines and Guam. Since this time, United States and Puerto Rico have engaged in a very peculiar relationship; and to this date, Puerto Rico remains a territory. In 1917, part of the Jones-Shafroth act, the United States Congress granted the people of Puerto Rico US citizenship, the right to have an elected state senate, established a Bill of Rights, and authorized the election of a Resident

military control was to end, Puerto Rico would use the monetary system of the U.S., Puerto Ricans did not have to pay federal taxes, Puerto Ricans were not U.S. citizens, and the governor was to be appointed by the President and Congress but there would be a two-chamber legislature. Downs vs. Biddell was the Puerto Rican reaction to the Foraker Act. The Jones Act 1917, advocated by Munoz Rivera, granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans, election of legislators, introduced the draft system, issued a Bill of Rights, and granted male suffrage. Balzac vs. Puerto Rico in 1920 was the reaction to the Jones Act asking for the same rights as Hawaii and Alaska. However, the efforts did not prove to be a success.The right to elect their own governor was granted in 1947. Munoz Marn, son of Luis Munoz Rivera, was the first elected governor in 1948. Three distinct ideologies on Puerto Rico’s status emerged in the 20th century Independence, Commonwealth, and Statehood. In plebiscites on the island, the Puerto Ricans have chosen to maintain commonwealth status. Operation Bootstrap 1940’s planned industrial progress. This was the turning point in Puerto Rico’s economy. The project gave protection to U.S. markets, gave tax exemptions to industries, and gave Puerto Ricans jobs. The results were more jobs, better sanitation, a rising middle class, role of women, and added money to the

The platform upon which the United States was built, freedom, was erected in response to the oppressive nature of colonialism. On July Fourth, 1776, the original thirteen colonies declared their independence, because the weight of Great Britain’s colonial restrictions proved to be too burdensome. The Constitution was signed shortly thereafter to protect American citizen’s rights from being abridged in the future. America was created as a direct response to the harmful nature of colonialism, however it soon forgot its idealistic birth. Freedom for all became a free for all, under America’s capitalistic system. When America was confronted with the question of what it should do

When the United States invaded the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico (Guanica and Ponce), a majority of Puerto Ricans welcomed the Americans and enabled their invasion. They cooperated and aided the American expulsion of Spaniards. However, it is obvious by the consequences that the end result of U.S. invasion and rule was not what Puerto Ricans had welcomed in July of 1898. Puerto Ricans wished an end to autocratic rule and concentration of wealth, things they did not know would continue under American rule. The Americans were regarded as change and chance for progress, even though they retained the fear of not knowing U.S. intentions.

If you have ever visited some of America’s most western paradises such as Hawaii or Guam, you would know that just about everything from utilities to groceries are generally more expensive as compared to the prices of those in the mainland United States Citizens, businesses, and lawmakers alike in these areas believe that the Jones Act limits competition in the market with its standards that create high barriers to entry, limited market, and a breeding ground for monopolies and illegal price fixing. Supporters of the Jones Act believe that it is beneficial to the United States since the act enhances national security, protects the domestic shipbuilding industry from foreign competition, and provides reliable, higher quality shipping services. This debate has been going on for several years, but has recently re-emerged when representatives from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam met in a video conference last March to discuss ideas of reforming the Jones Act to open up the market and lower the overall cost of living those areas. If the Jones Act is reformed, Guam and Hawaii would see a greater benefit from the elimination of the U.S. shipbuilding requirement.