A Strategic Prize
By the late nineteenth century, Puerto Rico was one of Spain’s last remaining colonies in the New World. American strategists viewed the island as a valuable naval and military position in the Caribbean, especially in plans connected to a future canal across the Isthmus.
Puerto Rican leaders Julio J. Henna and Roberto H. Todd Wells contacted U.S. officials, providing information about Spanish forces and encouraging American intervention. The United States prepared maps and reconnaissance before the invasion.
The Invasion
The Spanish–American War began in 1898. On 12 May, twelve American ships bombarded San Juan. In July, General Nelson Miles sailed toward Puerto Rico with a convoy of transports and 3,300 soldiers. On 25 July, American troops landed at Guánica on the southern coast, initially meeting no resistance there.
Fighting later occurred in southern and central regions, but by the end of August the United States controlled the island. The campaign demonstrated that even a heavily fortified Spanish possession could be overwhelmed once the wider imperial balance shifted.
The Treaty of Paris
Peace protocols were signed in August. The Treaty of Paris, signed on 10 December 1898, required Spain to cede Puerto Rico and its dependent islands to the United States. Spain received $20 million for the transfer of the Philippines, while the United States took control of Puerto Rico and Guam.
General John R. Brooke became the first U.S. military governor.
For Puerto Rico, 1898 was not simply a change of flag. It began a new political order whose central question—what relationship should the island have with the United States?—remains unresolved.