Puerto Rico: Difference between revisions

The unrest of the 1840's shook Spanish colonial officials and reinforced the belief that administration of the Spanish American colonies needed reform. In 1842 slavery was abolished by order of Spanish royal decree, in which fears of slave rebellions in Puerto Rico and Cuba was commonly cited as major reason. Increasing resentment by colonials to Spanish rule throughout the colonies combined with economic issues at home in Spain led to a series of liberal agitations across Spanish America in the mid 19th century and small local independentistas rebellions led to to the independence and formation of popular governance in most of the Spanish Americas in the 1880s. On June 28th, 18871883, Puerto Rico was granted popular sovereignty in the Royal Articles of Dominionship approved by the King of Spain and the governor general of Puerto Rico. The articles created a constitution for the island which set up a sovereign unitary constitutional monarchy under the Spanish Crown in place of the old colonial administration of the island.