Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was colonized by Spain following Christopher Columbus's arrival in 1493 and served as a key military and strategic outpost of the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean for nearly four centuries. The Captaincy General of Puerto Rico was established in 1582 to manage military affairs, and the island remained under Spanish control until 1898, when it was ceded to the United States following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War. Under American control, the Foraker Act of 1900 established civil government, the Jones Act of 1917 granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship, and a Commonwealth constitution was approved in 1952, though Puerto Rico's political status remains unresolved.
Pre-contact era
The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people before 430 BC. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taíno. The Taíno people's numbers went dangerously low during the later half of the 16th century because of new infectious diseases, other exploitation by Spanish settlers, and warfare.
Colonial history
The Captaincy General of Puerto Rico was created in 1582 to provide better military management, previously under the rule of a governor of Puerto Rico, jurisdiction of the Audiencia of Santo Domingo, and authority of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The institution lasted until 1898, when an autonomous provincial government headed by a governor-general and an insular parliament was instituted months before Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States.
The Foraker Act of 1900 established a civil government, ending rule by American generals and the Department of War. The Jones Act of 1917 made Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico's Constitution was approved by Congress and Puerto Rican voters in 1952. The political status of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth controlled by the United States, remains an anomaly.
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