They reached their goal in 1897; however, a year later, Spain ceded the island to the United States under the provisions of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War. In 1917, Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory and its people became U.S. citizens.

Puerto Rico has been discussed as a potential 51st state of the United States. On January 4, 2017, Puerto Rico’s new representative to Congress pushed a bill that would ratify statehood by 2025. On June 11, 2017, another non-binding referendum was held where 97.7 percent voted for the statehood option.

As a result of Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory, the citizens of Puerto Rico do not have any voting representation in the U.S. Federal government. Furthermore, Puerto Rico is not represented in the Electoral College, and thus U.S. citizens resident there are unable to vote in U.S. presidential elections.

In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917, and can move freely between the island and the mainland.

The Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish-American War of 1898. The United States was ceded Puerto Rico and Guam, liquidated its possessions in the West Indies, agreed to pay 20 million dollars for the Phillippines, while Cuba became independent.

The reasons for war were many, but there were two immediate ones: America’s support the ongoing struggle by Cubans and Filipinos against Spanish rule, and the mysterious explosion of the battleship U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor. Their quest was described as a “splendid little war” by Secretary of State John Hay.

The Revolutionary War was an insurrection by American Patriots in the 13 colonies to British rule, resulting in American independence.

The British were ultimately more successful than the Dutch and French in colonizing North America because of sheer numbers. The rulers back in Europe actually made it very difficult for French and Dutch settlers to obtain and manage land. They tended to be stuck on the old European model of feudal land management.

In the 1500s, during the Age of Exploration, Spain became the most powerful country in Europe and likely the world. This was due to their colonies in the Americas and the gold and great wealth they acquired from them.

Spain

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During the 16th century, Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe, due to the immense wealth derived from their possessions in the Americas. After the victory of his nationalist forces in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically, isolated by the Allies.