20PuertoRico

=Study Guide: Puerto Rico=

Puerto Rico in the Whirlwind of 1898: Conflict, Continuity, and Change
Luis Martinez-Fermandez, Profissor of History and Chair of the Department of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University

Additional Research: []

Key Terms/Events Definitions
The Foraker Act (1900)

The Jones Act (1917)

The Organic Act (1917) - gave PR a legislature (19 senators, 39 reps) elected freely by the puerto rican people

1932 - Congress approved a law to change the name of //Porto Rico// back to its original name, //Puerto Rico//

1935 - FDR creats the Puerto Rican Reconstruction dministration (PRRA), whic hprovided for agricultural development, public works, and electrification of the isalnd.

1940 US Nationality Act (effective 1941) - Congress amended the statute on naturalization; all persons born in Puerto Rico after 1/13/1941 are considered US citizens, with citizenship protection under the 14th Amendment.

1942 - US Senator Tydings introduces a bill to Congress calling for the independence of Puerto Rico

1948 - The Puerto Rican legislature approves Law 53, making it illegal to display the Puerto Rican flag, to sing a patriotic tune, to talk o independence, and to fight for liberation of Puerto Rico.

1950 - Truman signs Public Act 600, allowing Puerto Ricans to draft their own constitution, establishing the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico's political status is upgraded from protectorate to commonwealth (though remaining a territory of the US)

1967: The first plebiscite on the political status of Puerto Rico is held: 60% remain Commonwealth, 39% seek statehood, 1% Puerto Rican independence.

1993 referendum regarding the Commonwealth status reaffirmed by voters: 48.6% commonwealth, 46.3% statehood, 4.4% independence

1996 - Congress recognized Puerto Rican citizenhship as an equivalent to residency - meaning US citizens who reside in Puerto Rico.

**Puerto Rico on the Eve of the United States Invasion --> Matt**
1) Spain granted Puerto Rico an autonomous government a) due to pressure from the United States b) to appease Cuban insurgents c) form of political payback from Práxedes Mateo Sagasta in return for the support of Puerto Rico’s liberals

2) autonomists loved the new government à realization of long-time goal of self-rule within Spanish government framework a) United States troops invaded 6 days after the insular legislature took office

3) The Charter… a) Appeased Puerto Rico’s liberals b) Guaranteed loyalty to the Spanish crown à especially from the muñocista

4) Anti-Spanish sentiments united… a) Separatist minority (desired independence from Spanish rule) b) Annexationist group (desired a Puerto Rican state in the United States)

5) While separatists and annexationists collaborated… 300 Puerto Rican separatists fought Spanish troops on Cuban soil

6) Autonomy created… a) Closer ties between Puerto Rico, Spain, and Europe in the coffee trade b) Weakening economic ties with the United States’ economy à especially for sugar c) Coffee accounted for 41% of cultivated acreage d) Sugarcane accounted for 15% of cultivated acreage e) 1895 i) United States imported 10% of Puerto Rico’s exports ii) Spain, Cuba, and Europe imported 84% of Puerto Rico’s exports f) Plight for the peasant class i) Violent social and economic displacements ii) Rapidly deteriorating conditions for laboring class

7) Bombardment of San Juan and the naval blockade halted the economy and contributed to deteriorating conditions

The War and the War Behind It --> Caitlyn
__History__
 * The morning of July 25, 1898 The Us invaded Puerto Rico atthe port of Guanica
 * Guanica held the strongest anti-Spanish sentiment
 * The Creole elite welcomed welcomed US soldier's throughout the Southwest, providing troops, information and supplies
 * Very little Spanish resistance
 * The //tiznados// (armed band of rural workers) raided, looted, and burned plntations and other symbols of their oppression
 * The tiznados also burned records of indebtness and murdered a few coffee planters
 * After the armistice of Aug. 12, 1898 US troops demobalized the remaining tiznados

__Historians Debate__
 * The puerto Rican intelligentsia ( nationalistic exponents) call the minimal resistance to US invasion a "chapter of national shame"
 * Alledged anti-US guerilla activities
 * Luis Lopez Nieves publishes his fictional work telling of a town called Seva that claimed a victory against the US in May 1898. In order to concel the embarassment the US troops destroyed the town and execute the remaining population along with all documents pertaining to it. The town of Ceiba was built on Seva's ashes.

The Aftermath of the War of 1898 --> Shannon:
- In October 1898, US military formally assumed the administration of Puerto Rico - On Dec 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed between the US and Spain - Between Oct 1898 and May 1900, 3 military governors ruled over PR: (they dismantled the unconstitutional foundation inherited by Spain and made it more US) 1. General John R Brooke --> he ceased support of the catholic church and substituted old taxation with new taxes 2. General Guy V Henry --> (very controversial) he made foreclosures against mortgaged farmland which resulted in an unintentional freeze on agricultural credit, made modifications to marriage and divorce laws, and 8 hour work days 3. General George W Davis --> he established trial by jury and the right of Habeas Corpus - On May 1, 1990, a civilian colonial government was finally put in place under the Foraker Act - What some PR’s wanted: - The Foraker Act (1900) (caused a lot of division in PR and a lot of dislike towards the US) - The provisions in PR from the Foraker Act and the Military Governors: + Incorporated PR into the US tariff and navigation system + Established the rate of monetary exchange at 60 US cents per Spanish Peso + Limited land ownership by individuals and corporations to 500 acres + RESULT = coffee production down, sugar production WAY up + The agrarian elite lessened because of the corporate capital investing in sugar + Most people went to work on sugar plantations --> caused the prices of food and other needed items to go up. This lead to widespread poverty and unemployment - IN CONCLUSION: 1. Spanish old world (past) 2. North American new world (future)
 * Formalized the cession of PR by the US in an exchange for $20million compensation for Spain
 * Charles Allen became the first US civilian governor
 * They wanted PR to be annexed into the US and become a state --> thought it would be good for sugar production because it would open up the sugar market to the North American trade
 * It organized PR as an “unincorporated territory” of the US and denied the PR’s US citizenship --> this is something that the islanders really wanted
 * PR didn’t like the act because it took away all of their rights --> no liberty, no protection, or no freedom to travel
 * Economic:
 * Social:
 * TWO groups formed -->

The Foraker Act (The Organic Act of 1900) --> Haley
· 1990, Puerto Rico was surrendered to the United States military authority. · April 2, the Foraker Law (the Organic Act) establishing civil government and free commerce between the island and U.S. · Introduced by senator Joseph B. Foraker (Ohio) · Puerto Rico became U.S. first “unincorporated territory” o Denied U.S. citizenship o PR desired both statehood and U.S. citizenship · March 19, McKinley emphasized the need for free trade with Puerto Rico. · June 5, McKinley named an Executive Cabinet under Governor Charles H. Allen o included five Puerto Rican members and six U.S members § U.S. positions included Treasurer, Auditor, Interiors, Attorney General, and Secretary of Education. · Teaching was in English with Spanish treated as a special subjects o Increased nationalist opposition to U.S. colonialism · The Partido Federal Party was founded. Wanted Puerto Rico to became a U.S. state · November 6, the first elections (registered voters 123,140) · December 3, the first Legislative Assembly met · Further alienated broad sectors of the island’s political and economic elites o Fell short of their aspirations o Less self-rule then the Autonomic Charter under Spain · Lacked international recognitions · PR were critical of this act o “No liberty, no rights, absolutely no protections, not ever the right to travel” - Henna · Part of the U.S. tariff and navigation system · Established a monetary exchange o Sixty U.S. cents per Spanish peso · Limited land ownership to only 500 acres per individual/corporations · Hurt PR coffee trade in the Cuban and European markets o Did not hurt U.S. because they bough Brazil’s cheaper coffee o PR sugar however was tariff free after 1901 o Coffee was 10% of exports opposed to 64% that was sugar · U.S. became PR dominate trading partner · Food prices and other essential items shot up · Unemployment and poverty spread
 * Political**
 * Economical**

The Olmsted Amendment to the Foraker Act (1909) --> Ashley
Background -9 years after the Foraker (Organic) Act -The Foraker Act had regulated political and economic relationship between US and Puerto Rico -placed the supervision of PR government under an executive branch as determined by the president -PR was in government crisis over thee Foraker Act -the “appropriation crisis” concerning funding for government

The Basics Who: President Taft What: an amendment to Puerto Rico’s constitution stating that if the PR legislature were unable to come up with a consensus on appropriations for the support of the government, then the previous year’s plan would be used When: passed July 16th, 1909 Where: both houses in Congress Why: solve political problems -Show more power over the PR government?

Results -sparked the first Congressional debate in Puerto Rico since 1900 -exposed Puerto Rico’s lack of trust in the US; they wanted to return to tne freedom of their constitutional autonomy under Spain -revealed American imperialism to be similar to Britain’s -further defined PR constitution -posed the question: territory, commonwealth, or future state?