The 1898 US Invasion of Puerto Rico and Its Lasting Impact

In 1898, the United States invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War, securing the island with minimal casualties. The campaign, led by Major General Nelson A. Miles, began with a landing at Guánica Bay on July 25, 1898, and advanced through key battles at Coamo, Guayama, and Asomante. Puerto Rican civilians largely welcomed US forces, providing intelligence and supplies, though some fought alongside Spanish troops and bands of "Partidas Sediciosas" caused disorder. The Treaty of Paris, signed on December 8, 1898, ceded Puerto Rico to the US, with Article IX allowing Congress to determine the island's political status, leading to its designation as an unincorporated territory. The US maintained military occupation until the Foraker Act of 1900 established civilian control, but the Supreme Court's "Insular Cases" ruled that Puerto Rico could not be granted full statehood. Subsequent events included the Jones Act of 1917 granting US citizenship, the election of Luis Muñoz Marín as the first locally-elected governor in 1948, and ongoing political divisions between pro-commonwealth and pro-statehood factions.