Unincorporated Territory: Puerto Rico's Ongoing Lack of Voting Rights
For over 400 years from 1508 to 1898, Puerto Rico was a colonial possession of Spain and an integral part of Spain's empire in the Americas. The island provided agricultural products like sugar, tobacco and coffee that supported the Spanish economy and fueled trade. Spain also used Puerto Rico as a military outpost to help defend its colonial interests in the Caribbean region. Under Spanish rule, the rights of the Puerto Rican people were limited, and they had little say in the governance of their own island. Though there were occasional small uprisings, Spanish control remained firm until the late 19th century.
