U.S. CITIZENSHIP BEGINS

U.S. interest in Puerto Rico is twofold: as a captive market and as a vital strategic military base. In 1900, the U.S. Congress passes the Foraker Act asserting that Puerto Ricans are incapable of running their government. The Act establishes a U.S. appointed governor and an elected house of representatives in Puerto Rico with Congress retaining veto power.

Dissatisfied with the colonial arrangement, Puerto Ricans press for autonomy. But the U.S. government does not want to lose Puerto Rico. Congressional hearings conclude, “We are never to give up Puerto Rico for, now that we have completed the Panama Canal, the retention of the island becomes very important to the safety of the Canal, and in that way to the nation itself.”