Spain Cedes Puerto Rico: U.S. Expansion in the Caribbean
Spain formally ceded Puerto Rico to the United States on April 11, 1899, under the terms of the Treaty of Paris signed on December 10, 1898, ending the Spanish-American War. Spain had ruled the island for 405 years. The United States immediately established a military government, then transitioned to civilian governance under the Foraker Act of 1900. Puerto Ricans received US citizenship in 1917 through the Jones-Shafroth Act, just in time to be drafted for World War I. The island's political status remains unresolved. Six referendums have been held, with statehood winning narrow majorities in the most recent, but Congress has never acted on the results. Puerto Rico's 3.2 million US citizens cannot vote for president and have no voting representation in Congress.
April 11, 1899
127 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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