Primer on the legal history of Puerto Rico
The relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States began – to use business parlance- as a hostile takeover. After skirmishes with Spanish ships, the U.S. attacked San Juan on May 12, 1898. It bombarded the city with ten ships; followed by naval blockade. On July 25, 1898, it led an invasion of the south of the island with 1,300 infantry soldiers. The U.S. offensive was met by Puerto Rican-Spanish soldiers along different fronts. The…