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| Toa Baja, Puerto Rico | . |
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Government/History
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| History in a nutshell! | ||||
Of all Spanish colonial possessions in the Americas, Puerto Rico is the only territory that never gained its independence. Puerto Rico remained under Spanish rule until the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898. At that time, Spain, which had granted Puerto Rico almost complete autonomy by 1897, ceded the colony to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Rico remained under U.S. military rule from 1898 to 1900. The governor and legislature were federally appointed until 1917, when the Jones Act made all Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens and created an elected senate. Puerto Rico did not elect its own governor until 1948. In 1952, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was established. The establishment of the Commonwealth gave Puerto Rico's it's own Constitution although remained a territory of the United States. Puerto Ricans have common citizenship, currency and defense with the U.S. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, residents of Puerto Rico pay no federal income tax and do not vote in United States Presidential elections. |
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