Was Puerto Rico ever an independent country...?

Question

I am a Puerto Rican living in the U.S. and I would like to know more about my Puerto Rican heritage. I was wondering if Puerto Rico was ever at one-time an independent country? ...because I know they once had their own president but it was short-lived.

Answer 1

Yes they were once an independent country before the Spanish invaded and occupied the island. The country used to be called Boricua occupied by several Tanio tribes. The native people were brown color skin and lived peacefully until they were ravaged by disease brought over from the Spanish. Many of the native people fought and resisted the Spanish. Because of this the Spanish killed many native people and converted them to Christianity. Due to the fact that many Tanio people were killed, the Spanish brought in African Slaves to replace them for the use in agriculture. Today a few decedents of the true “boricua” exist. Many Puerto Ricans are actually decedents from the Spanish and not “boricua”.

Answer 2

The ONLY time when PR was an independent country was the day of the "Grito de Lares" , just for a couple of hours the Puertorricans made a gathered in the town of Lares because they wanted to be an independent country and they got established in the town but then they got defeted by the spanish :(

Grito the lares - September 23, 1868
Republic of Puerto Rico was proclaimed at (2:00 AM local time) under the presidency of Francisco Ramirez Medina. All slaves who had joined the movement were declared free citizens.(wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Lares

Answer 3

It had an independent _government_, just once, the year before the US invasion.

" In 1897, Muñoz Rivera and others persuaded the liberal Spanish government to agree to a Charters of Autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico. The following year, Puerto Rico's first, but short-lived, autonomous government was organized. The charter maintained a governor appointed by Spain, who held the power to annul any legislative decision he disagreed with, and a partially elected parliamentary structure."

"On 1898-07-25 at the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States with a landing at Guánica."

"Puerto Rico : History" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_%28Puerto_Rico%29#History

Answer 4

The only time when Puerto Rico was independent is when the Taino indians lived here, before Columbus. Columbus discovered it in 1492 and declared it a spanish posession, and in 1898 the U.S. took it from Spain and made it a colony, which is what it is today.

Answer 5

Yes they once were independent but friends with Spain: the Spanish American War sent thousand of American Troops there to STOP the Spanish influence there. My Fathers Uncle was one of these troops as was my Grandfather Bliss. The insulting term came out of that war as well. The Spanish Hard line Troops were armed with Spanish Mauser's and Bayonets that American Troops miss read as ELSPIKADORALS, so they started calling these Troops S__KS not as an insult but to identifier their weaponry; this name is now the insulting term that is used today; or troops never meant it to mean any thing like it does today

Answer 6

i do no longer think of so. Our human beings had exchange into so lazy to paintings the land that it can be quite virtually impossible. lots of the persons choose for to be docs, legal experts, experts, etc and 365 days by employing 365 days indexed right here are much less people who desires to paintings contained in the agriculture, this is considerable to strengthen as an self sustaining usa. in the different hand you have the politicians in right here who think of that shape is the only thank you to progression. in the different hand they do no longer do something for the island to alter into the two a state of the union nor an self sustaining usa. Why? ordinary, they choose for to maintain squeezing the poeple of Puerto Rico to maintain their severe salaries and to do no longer unfastened the gen of the golden eggs.

Answer 7

yes before 1492

Answer 8

You're PR and don't know this?
The answer is no.