Puerto Rico And The United States - 1557 Words

Puerto Rico, whose word meaning is â€Å"rich port† in Spanish, is a beautiful Island located in the middle of the Caribbean. Its strategic location made it a must have territory to the Spaniards who colonized it over four hundred years before the United States took a special interest. It all started in the year 1898, with the Treaty of Paris Puerto Rico now is property of the United States. After centuries of being led by Sevilla and Madrid, Puerto Rico was now forced to look upon Washington. The series of events leading the Spanish-American War changed Puerto Rico permanently. From changing the Island’s name from Porto Rico to Puerto Rico to Americanizing the Puerto Rican people in all ways possible, the acquisition of Puerto Rico from the United States had numerous economic, social and political impacts. 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. â€Å"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†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Flores P. 73). After the â€Å"splendid little war† a peaceful treaty known as the The Treaty of Paris was signed by the United States and SpanishShow MoreRelatedThe United State Of Puerto Rico881 Words   |  4 Pages The United State wanted to keep Puerto Rico under its control by manipulating it people, by wanting to reconstruct Puerto Rico and remake it in their own idealized self-image like it said on the reading. The United State started to promote marriage in Puerto Rico so they can keep track of people, it would help it govern the island more in that it will help the United States to keep track of people in the island and to have more control over the people and create order in the islandRead MorePuerto Rico And The United States1100 Words   |  5 Pagespeople have of Puerto Rico and they would be right, for the most part, about this beautiful island. However, Puerto Rico which translate to â€Å"rich port† is far from the name it inhabits. The commonwealth has a $72 billion dollar debt which is causing the residents to live in poverty and the United States government is partially to blame. In addition, even through Puerto Rico has it s own government the United States Congress has the final ruling. This is making it difficult for Puerto Rico to resolveRead More Puerto Rico and the United States Essay1936 Words   |  8 PagesPuerto Rico and the United States Since Puerto Rico was first discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 19, 1493, and Spanish colonization ensued in 1508, Puerto Rico has experienced all of these pressures of identity and culture. When Columbus first arrived he found the island populated by thousands of Taino Indians who made the mistake of showing Columbus gold nuggets in the river. This was all Spain needed to finance its crown. Differences between the Spaniards and the Taints beganRead MoreThe Differences Between United States and Puerto Rico825 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween living in Puerto Rico and living in the United States? I believe that there are big differences. I came to the United States when I was fifteen years old. Although, I am currently living in the United States, I always go back to Puerto Rico to visit my family. I love it there. I like living in the United States but there are many things that differ from Puerto Rico such as food, education and weather. Puerto Rico has variety of Spanish food that make you go there. Puerto Rico’s food is oneRead More The Exploitation of Puerto Rico by the United States Essay3007 Words   |  13 PagesThe Exploitation of Puerto Rico by the United States Puerto Rico has had a long history of dependency. Puerto Rico was first colonized by Spain until the Spanish American war, which resulted in the colonization by the United States in 1898. While Spain was in the process of devising an agreement with Puerto Rico that would grant the island autonomy, the invasion of the United States ended any plans that would grant this reprise (Figueroa, 11/19/98). The U.S. decided to partake in this colonial expansionRead More The Impact of United States Rule on Puerto Rico Essay2262 Words   |  10 PagesThe Impact of United States Rule on Puerto Rico Puerto Rico spent most of its history under the control of Spain. In the year 1898, the islanders wanted their freedom and welcomed the U.S. invaders as their last hope of liberation from Spanish control. The United States brought the promise of democracy to Puerto Rico, but its true intentions did not include letting go of the island. Although the United States claimed that its intentions were to civilize Puerto Rico and help it become a democraticRead MoreCompare and Contrast: Puerto Rico vs United States833 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween living in Puerto Rico and living in the United States? I believe that there are big differences. I came to the United States when I was five years old. I then moved to Philadelphia for one year, lived in Georgia for six years, and now I am currently living in Maryland. I always go back to Puerto Rico to visit my family. I love it there. I like living in the United States but there are many things that differ such as the location itself, people and the schools. Puerto Rico is a beautiful placeRead More United States Colonial Rule of Puerto Rico Essay2095 Words   |  9 PagesUnited States Colonial Rule of Puerto Rico 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 wealthRead MoreThe Issue Of Puerto Rico1542 Words   |  7 PagesPuerto Rico is a territory of the United States since 1898 and in order to change that status citizens of the territory must vote in a plebiscite, a special referendum. The three options available to choose from were to become a state, to remain a territory, or to become an independent nation (Martin). In the November 6, 2012 plebiscite held in Puerto Rico, 54% of the population said that do not like the current commonwealth status of the island (Alexandrino). The next question off ered to the populationRead MoreEssay on Everyday Life in Puerto Rico933 Words   |  4 PagesEveryday Life in Puerto Rico The commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), known to most Americans as simply Puerto Rico, exists as one of two territories owned by the United States1. Being a territory of the United States, Puerto Ricans possess common citizenship, currency, and defense. However, even though Puerto Ricans are United States citizens they do not pay any kind of federal income taxes. Therefore, they cannot vote in presidential elections. Puerto Rico is under the