The U.S. never acquries Puerto Rico-what happens to it?

In 1898 the U.S. obtains Cuba,the Philippines,Puerto Rico,etc. as a result of the Spanish-American War.Now I understand that if the U.S. never waged war,Puerto Rico would have never been annexed in the first place,but that is not my contention.To put it another way,as a result of the Spanish-American War the U.S. obtains the Philippines,Cuba,Guam,etc.,however they,for some reason or another,never annexed Puerto Rico.What do you think the island of Puerto Rico looks like if the US never gets involved with PR?Love and Peace..always.;)
 

scholar

Banned
Puerto Rico was very happy under Spain, or at least far more happy than Cuba and the Philippines. I would not be surprised at all if Peurto Rico remains part of the Spain until either the fall of the monarchy or the decline in colonialism, assuming either are set in stone.
 
Puerto Rico was very happy under Spain, or at least far more happy than Cuba and the Philippines. I would not be surprised at all if Peurto Rico remains part of the Spain until either the fall of the monarchy or the decline in colonialism, assuming either are set in stone.
Hey,hey you learn somethin new everyday,I wasn't aware that PR was happy living under Spain's domain.Good job scholar,let's keep this thread ALIVE & KICKIN'.Love and Peace...always.;)
 
I'd say their's a 70% chance it would remain part of Spain to the present day, becoming its own Autonomous Community (the admin. divisions of Spain).
 
Really, the only way Spain keeps Puerto Rico is if either it wins the war or the war doesn't happen. I do not think a victorious United States, regardless of whether or not it captures the island, allowing Spain to keep any of its remaining colonies in the Wetern Hemisphere.

In 1898-1899, Germany was extremely interested in acquiring the remaining parts of the Spanish empire. I could see Germany trying to acquire Puerto Rico from Spain, although I doubt the United States would tolerate this (i.e., the Monroe Doctrine).

If Puerto Rico became a German colony, I seriously doubt the Puerto Ricans would fare as well as they did under the Spanish. And once the United States enters World War I, the island will be invaded and conquered (assuming Germany acquiring a colony in the Americas does not butterfly away the war).
 
Really, the only way Spain keeps Puerto Rico is if either it wins the war or the war doesn't happen. I do not think a victorious United States, regardless of whether or not it captures the island, allowing Spain to keep any of its remaining colonies in the Wetern Hemisphere.

The United States won the war as a result of sheer luck, if the U.S. managed to 'win' but only say occupy Cuba (or part of it, but get it as a result) then their's no way they'd have any say in anything else.


In 1898-1899, Germany was extremely interested in acquiring the remaining parts of the Spanish empire. I could see Germany trying to acquire Puerto Rico from Spain, although I doubt the United States would tolerate this (i.e., the Monroe Doctrine).

Germany was only interested in the Spanish Pacific Islands as a result of their being near existing German colonial holdings and thus useful to have.
 
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It probably stays as part of Spain, as it's much easier to keep control of than Cuba, and not so valuable that the US or some other power is interested in taking it for its own sake.
 
It probably remains Spanish to this day, they never had much grievance with Spain and Spain liked having some colonial holdings.
 
What is really interesting, though, is what happens to the Spanish Civil War. If the US loses the Spanish-American War or never fights it at all, then the SCW is probably either butter-flied away or vastly altered. However, if Spain simply gets to keep Puerto Rico in the peace (maybe the peace terms of the SCW call for referendums in the Spanish colonies and Puerto Rico votes to remain with Spain?), then most likely the SCW erupts and follows a similar path to OTL.

The question is, does Puerto Rico stay with the Republicans or Nationalists? And if it eventually ends up in the hands of Franco's (or another Spanish dictator) Spain, would the US allow a Fascist nation to maintain holdings in the western hemisphere? Especially if Puerto Rico had sided with the Republicans initially.
 
would the US allow a Fascist nation to maintain holdings in the western hemisphere?

Considering the entirety of Metropolitan Spain and Portugal and some of former Portuguese Africa is in the Western Hemisphere..
 
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Considering the entirety of Metropolitan Spain and Portugal and some of Portuguese Africa is in the Western Hemisphere..

Those itty bitty islands don't count :p. I mean, they're technically in the Western Hemisphere, but I think he means the Americas when he says Western Hemisphere.
 
Those itty bitty islands don't count :p. I mean, they're technically in the Western Hemisphere, but I think he means the Americas when he says Western Hemisphere.

I said Metrpolitan Spain, as in the Mainland, the Western Hemisphere includes a chunk of West Africa as well as part of Western Europe;

Hemisferio_Oeste[1].png
 
The question is, does Puerto Rico stay with the Republicans or Nationalists? And if it eventually ends up in the hands of Franco's (or another Spanish dictator) Spain, would the US allow a Fascist nation to maintain holdings in the western hemisphere? Especially if Puerto Rico had sided with the Republicans initially.

Probably6, the US may object if its Republican Spain but actually the US was often quite cozy with Franco and likely wouldn't mind his presence.
 
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