No Spanish-American War. What happens to Puerto Rico?

Say, that, the Maine doesn't explode and there is no Spanish-American War. From what I know, both Cuba and the Philippines were mostly already under rebel control and Spain would eventually have to give up on them. However, there was no rebellion in Puerto Rico, that was fully under Spanish control. Apparently, Puerto Rico was far more happy under Spain than Cuba and the Philippines were. Due to its size, it was also much easier to control. If the war hadn't happened, would it still be part of Spain today?
 
I think Puerto Rico could stay spanish in the same ways Cap Verde is still portugese, Franco likely won't give them independence but the again he might no around with no american war.
 
I think Puerto Rico could stay spanish in the same ways Cap Verde is still portugese, Franco likely won't give them independence but the again he might no around with no american war.

I'm Portuguese and I can assure you, that, Cape Verde is independent.
 
France and the Netherlands kept their Caribbean islands. Only Britain gave them independence.

Those islands elected to remain under French/Dutch rule. I think it would be different for PR as it is a larger island and Spain (which is still fairly poor at this time) probably can't offer the same kind of government support.
 
Those islands elected to remain under French/Dutch rule. I think it would be different for PR as it is a larger island and Spain (which is still fairly poor at this time) probably can't offer the same kind of government support.
Also Spain for most of the XX century is going to be either highly unstable or under dictatorship so maybe puerto rico goes independent during ww2?
 
It might have been where the Spanish Crown goes sort of like a Spanish Taiwan.




And has been since 1975

What about a Republican Taiwan, in case the Spanish Civil War isn't butterflied away?
Also, as an interesting note, Cape Verde only became independent by chance, there was no rebel presence there during the Portuguese Colonial War. It only became independent because, after the Carnation Revolution, the provisional governments moved far to left and wanted to get rid of all colonies. It's easy to find a POD through which, Cape Verde would, still, be Portuguese, today.

Those islands elected to remain under French/Dutch rule. I think it would be different for PR as it is a larger island and Spain (which is still fairly poor at this time) probably can't offer the same kind of government support.

Actually, I don't think, that, there were independence referendums in most of those islands. Aruba did have such a referendum and the independence option won but a special arrangement was made for Aruba to become one of the kingdoms that compose the Kingdom of Netherlands, another one being the Netherlands.
 
There is a chance that Puerto Rico still gets independent. But then again, it might remain a part of Spain. It is hard to predict how loyal the Puerto Ricans would remain for the next 50 years. If Spain still experience Civil War and Republicans win, there is a good chance the US occupies it anyway to prevent Communist base in the Caribbean. Occupation or just support the Puerto Ricans to fight for their independence.
 
There is a chance that Puerto Rico still gets independent. But then again, it might remain a part of Spain. It is hard to predict how loyal the Puerto Ricans would remain for the next 50 years. If Spain still experience Civil War and Republicans win, there is a good chance the US occupies it anyway to prevent Communist base in the Caribbean. Occupation or just support the Puerto Ricans to fight for their independence.

The Communists were just one element of the Republican coalition.
 
Many years ago, I went to PR on a series of business trips. A brochure in the hotel said thta PR was granted a seat in the Spanish Parliament just before the Spanish American War. I would assume that PR would have been content to be part of Spain until the Spanish Civil War. With the death and destruction of the Spanish Civil War, it is hard to say what PR would or could do.
 
But the most important element, as without the aid from the USSR, would have been done for, as the only other country to send large amounts of aid was Mexico.

Even, close to the end of the war, when they had more importance, the moderate, Segismundo Casado managed to coup them.
 
Even, close to the end of the war, when they had more importance, the moderate, Segismundo Casado managed to coup them.
As historian Stanley Payne wrote (approximately):

"The Spanish Civil War began with, and ended with, a rebellion of the army of the Spanish Republic against the civilian government because of fears of Communist influence in the government."

Weird, huh?
 
There is a chance that Puerto Rico still gets independent. But then again, it might remain a part of Spain. It is hard to predict how loyal the Puerto Ricans would remain for the next 50 years. If Spain still experience Civil War and Republicans win, there is a good chance the US occupies it anyway to prevent Communist base in the Caribbean. Occupation or just support the Puerto Ricans to fight for their independence.
If there is no war, there is always the likely chance that Puerto Rico goes the way of the Danish Virgin Islands and are purchased the United States anyway.
 

Marc

Donor
For this scenario, you would have to have no McKinley, and of course, resulting in no Theodore Roosevelt. Likely no interest in annexing Hawaii. No American conquest of the Philippines - which completely changes the history of East Asia. And so and so on.
I would say that basically you throw out most of American history, and Spanish history, at the very least, in the 20th century.
Which makes the speculation impossible.
Unless you want to do a 5 sigma game - no Spanish-American war, but the nothing else changes, nothing significant at all.
 
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