Question from spanish class. I can only find results regarding whether or not puerto rico is part of the US.|||Puerto Rico was a colony of Spain from 1493 to 1898. In 1898, the Hispanoamerican war begun (a conflict between the US and Spain). US won the war and took as loot several Spanish territories: Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 1952, Puerto Rico's status changed from colony to "Estado Libre Asociado," which translates literally to Freely Associated State. Since the US deemed this name unacceptable, the official name in English is Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. So first, PR belonged to the US. And now, PR is "part" of the US.|||"Part" ? Technically speaking, legally speaking? *** No. Puerto Rico is not "part" of the USA, but only a "possession" or "property" of the USA. *** According to the US Supreme Court, territories like Puerto Rico, which are "Unincorporated territories" are not "part" of the USA. Since PR is not "part" of the USA, the question "WHY is puerto rico part of the untited states?" can not be answerred. Note: * There are several kinds of territories within USA law system. *** Incorporated organized territories: These are "part" of the USA. Currently, USA does not have any Incorporated organized territories. *** Unincorporated organized territories: These are not "part" but "possessions" or "properties" of the USA. The "organized" adjective means they got their own local goverments, that means not been governed or administrated out from a desk in Washington. Territories in this category: PR, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands. *** Incorporated unorganized territories: Example: Palmyra Atoll is privately owned by the Nature Conservancy and administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. *** Unincorporated unorganized : Example: Johnston Atoll, Midway Islands ==================================== If the question is why Puerto Rico is a unincorporated & organized territory of the USA then: *** PR was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 during his second trip to the New World. *** Spain started colonization of PR in early 1500's under Juan Ponce De Leon. *** USA and Spain had a war (the Hispanoamerican War) in 1898 which USA won, and in the Treaty of Paris were USA and Spain settled peace, USA received the last colonies that Spain had including Cuba, PR, and the Philippines. *** From 1898 up to now we have been an unincorporated territory of the USA. *** From April 11, 1899鈥揗ay 1, 1900 PR was an unincorporated territory of the United States under military government. After that date we continued as an an unincorporated territory but with civil goverment with our governor selected / appointed by the USA President. *** The enacting of our own Constitution in 1952, that established our current form of goverment, giving the right to puertorricans to elect our governor, nor the names "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" or "Commenwealth of Puerto Rico" did not changed the fact that we still are considered a territory, an Unincorporated territory.|||Peurto Rico is not yet the 51st state of the USA. The idea has been considered but Puerto Rico rejected it.

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