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Dynastie Boyd
Professor Witherspoon
English 102
October 31, 2014
The Colonial Effect
Throughout history colonialism has stretched around the globe and across time. Superior
countries or empires used this method during the Age of Exploration to establish more than just
the action of traveling to unfamiliar areas in order to learn. Colonialism is the control or
governing influence of a nation over a dependent country, territory, or people outside the
colonizing countrys boundaries. History has shown examples of these colonizing countries or
empires for instance, the British Empire, Mongol Empire, Ottoman Empire, Roman Empire, and
Spain Empire. Even America was a colonial under the British Empire until American won its
independence, but soon America itself expanded its influence and interest to other countries.
One of these many countries was Puerto Ricos; is a small country located The was created
across the1, 000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida and also belongs with the group of islands
called the West Indies. America colonized Puerto Rico in 1898 after the Spanish-American War
and ever since have affected its economic, social, and political structure. This paper will
analysis the cause and effects of American colonization in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico was ruled by Spain for 405 years between 1493 through 1898 and during its
rule the countrys e economy seen a dramatic change and was mainly driven by slavery (Brs).
These slave economy primary vehicle was agriculture based off sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, and
minor fruits. Once America took over Puerto Ricos economy shifted over time with new
infrastructure such as roads, ports, railroads, telegraph lines, and new public health measures.

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During the 1930s the United States launched the Puerto Rican Reconstruction Administration
which increased the development of public works and electrification. With the development of
more factories Puerto Rico agriculture was replaced with manufacturing as its main industry
(Domnguez). Even despite all the new technologies and advances in the countrys economy
America has been the main beneficiary and has exhausted the countrys resources to the point
that Puerto Rico is going through an economic crisis today.
Puerto Rico has been colonized so long by other cultures that they countrys suffers from
an identity crisis. A lot of this crisis started with Spanish rule and this is evident within the
Puerto Rican language, which is Spanish, but its native language was Arakwan, which was
spoke by the indigenous natives. The national consciousness that emerged under Spanish rule
survived into the twentieth century under U.S. control. The United States saw itself as exercising
a benign modernizing function, but Puerto Ricans saw it as eroding their culture. For instance,
the United States forced English only education systems, Anglo-Saxon common law principles,
introduction of U.S. currency, and the devaluation of the local peso (Whalen). Puerto Rican
society was characterized by great racial and class differences. Small farms and subsistence
agriculture prevailed during the colonial period, but over time American capitalism affected the
social structure. This American influence transformed Puerto Ricos society from the ideology
that coming from a good family and being education was less important to being wealthy and
having the ability to purchase goods and commodities such as cars, clothes, and status.
The countrys political structure has seen multiple changes ever since 1898. Puerto Rico
really has not been able to purely establish its own government because of American control.
Much of Puerto Ricos political parties formed between the 1940 and 1960s. The Popular
Democratic Party (PPD) was formed in 1940 which has similar view points as the America

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Republic party and The New Progressive Party (PNP) was founded 1967 and has America
Democratic views. Both parties have been fighting for control and battling many issues that lead
to scandals that even cost the lives of two independence activists during the Maravilla Hill affair
which involved criminal police agents. Due to American colonialism, Section 936 of the U.S.
Internal Revenue Tax Code allowed American companies to profit in Puerto Rico without having
to pay taxes as an economic incentive (Brs). Even despite the major American influence unlike
in the United States, Puerto Ricans vote politicians in and out of office based off their governing
abilities and not their position on status.
The United States never had any intentions of giving the island its absolute right to
freedom. The false hope that America would grant Puerto Ricans their freedom added to
everlasting disagreements within Puerto Rican society which resulted in the development of the
major political parties that exist today. America does not want to lose it dominant present in the
Caribbean nor does it want to lose the economic benefits it has received for over the past 116
years. With politics, business, and American interest; Puerto Rico was also intended to remain
an American colony. Puerto Rico will never be able to regain its full originality because the
country simply does not possess the ability to win its independence and the countrys culture
has been changed so much that the individuals living on the island do know who they really are
and a set of people. Puerto Rico has been impacted both negatively and positively by American
colonization, but many questions will remain for instance, will Puerto Rico really be better off
without the United States as its colonizer, can the country function without America influence,
and if American allows Puerto Rico freedom what other powerful countries might be willing to
come and recolonize the island? Puerto Ricans need a clear path toward the resolution of

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their political status. This will have dire consequences for all, Puerto Rico and the United States

(Domnguez).

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Work Cited

Brs, Marisabel. "The Changing of the Guard: Puerto Rico in 1898 - The World of 1898: The
Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress)." Library of Congress
Home | Library of Congress. Library of Congress, 22 June 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/bras.html>.

Domnguez, Victor M. "Colonialism and Puerto Ricos Fiscal Crisis | Dissident Voice."
Dissident Voice. Dissident Voice and respective authors, 5 Apr. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
<http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/04/colonialism-and-puerto-ricos-fiscal-crisis/>.

Whalen, Carmen T. "Colonialism, Citizenship, and the Making of the Puerto Rican
Diaspora: An Introduction." Temple University. Temple University, 31 Oct. 2014.
Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.temple.edu/tempress/chapters_1400/1523_ch1.pdf>.