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The Spanish American War and
Puerto Rico
An Introduction:
On February 15, 1898, the
battleship USS Maine, stationed in Havana Harbor (Cuba), exploded and
sank to the bottom of the sea. The explosion and its aftermath killed two of the 26
officers, and 250 of the 329 sailors and marines aboard. It was the explosion of the Maine
that precipitated the outbreak of the Spanish American War which was declared by President
William McKinley in April, 1898.
The Maine was in Cuba,
then a colony of Spain, to protect American property during a period of revolution and
upheaval. However, the Spanish Government did not appreciate America’s presence in
Cuba. To this day, the question still remains as to what caused the explosion. After an
inquiry into its cause, the U.S. Naval Board of Inquiry blamed it on a Spanish mine.
An important aspect of
the Spanish American War was the United States’ military plans, battles, and
excursions, both in Puerto Rico and in Cuba. This war lasted a little over three months,
or from late April to early August, 1898. (The signing of the Treaty of Paris officially
ended the war on December 10, 1898.)
Since 1998 marks the
100th Anniversary of the United States’ involvement in the affairs of Puerto Rico
after almost 400 years of Spanish rule, it is an appropriate time to reflect upon our
historical past. The United States has influenced not only the people in Puerto Rico, but
also the nearly three million Puerto Ricans residing in the United States.
According to some
historians, the Spanish-American War has had an on-going, as well as a long-lasting,
effect on those countries that were somehow involved. For example, both Puerto Rico and
the United States, as well as Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, and Hawaii, were all directly
impacted by this war. In the book "Extraordinary Americans," by Susan Sinnott
(1991), Ms. Sinnott ponts out in the chapter entitled "Remember the Maine: The
Spanish American War and Its Aftermath" that "The Spanish American War was short
but the results were far-reaching. The Spanish lost their holdings in Cuba, Puerto Rico
and the Philippines. The United States was left, if not in control of the colonial empire,
then at least in a much more responsible position than before. The end of the war pushed
the United States into the world arena—it was now a major international power."
The book,
"Everything You Need To Know About Latino History" (Himilce Novas, 1994, pp.
152-154), offers a description on how Puerto Ricans felt about Spanish rule toward the end
of the 19th Century.
Further, Himilce Novas
observed that just prior to United States’ involvement and subsequent occupation of
Puerto Rico in July, 1898, Spain had earlier granted local government control, as well as
the right to elect native representatives to local government, and these representatives
would have full say over local taxes, budgets, and education. Ironically, on July 17,
1898, just a scant eight days before the United States’ "military
expedition" landed and hoisted the American Flag in Guanica, Puerto Rico (July 25,
1898), Muņoz Rivera was voted Puerto Rico's first independent governor. This was a first
step toward Puerto Rico’s hope for independence.
As a result of the
Spanish American War, Puerto Rico became a United States protectorate. This was the
beginning of a complex relationship (referred to by different names over the years) that
continues until today, as well as the ongoing debate on what the status of Puerto Rico
should be.
I have reviewed the New
York Times newspaper articles published during 1898, specifically, those which had as a
headline the Spanish American War as it related to Puerto Rico.
For more information
please contact:
La Casa de Puerto Rico
P.O. Box 81982
San Diego, CA 92138
(619) 685-2847
lacasa@inetworld.net
Email
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