Puerto Rico Changes Hands in 1898
On October 18, 1898, a flag-raising ceremony in San Juan marked a change in who governed Puerto Rico. Spanish troops were leaving, and U.S. troops raised the United States flag over the island. But a change of flags did not mean that Puerto Ricans had chosen their own government. The ceremony was one moment in a much longer history of outside rule and debate over self-government.
Before the war
Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean with a history that reaches back long before the United States existed. Indigenous Taíno communities lived there before Spanish colonization began in the early 1500s. Spanish rule brought conquest, disease, forced labor, and profound changes to the island’s population and culture. Enslaved Africans and their descendants also became an essential part of Puerto Rico’s history and society.
By the late 1800s, Puerto Rico had been under Spanish control for nearly four centuries. People on the island held different views about its future. Some wanted reforms and greater control over local affairs while remaining connected to Spain. Others sought independence. In 1897, Spain granted Puerto Rico an autonomous government, giving the island more authority over its internal affairs, although Spain still retained significant powers. That new arrangement had only a short time to operate before war interrupted it.
War reaches Puerto Rico
- colonization:
- The process of taking control of a place and settling people there.
- conquest:
- The act of taking control of a place by force.
- reforms:
- Changes intended to improve a system.
- internal:
- Taking place within a particular place or organization.
- civilian:
- Not controlled by or belonging to the military.
- representation:
- The act of speaking or making decisions on behalf of others.
- territory:
- An area governed by a country that is not necessarily a state.
- legislature:
- A group of people who make laws.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How did the 1897 autonomous government differ from both earlier Spanish control and independence?
- 2Why does the author describe different Puerto Rican reactions to the arrival of U.S. forces?
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About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“Puerto Rico Changes Hands in 1898” is a explanatory article reading passage about Puerto Rico under Spanish and U.S. rule, written for Middle School. It takes about 5 minutes to read (822 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.