Puerto Rican History Honors
Ch. 9: The Rise of Colonial Tutelage
Guiding Questions;
Pages 152 – 157 Foraker Act
1. How long did colonial tutelage last in P.R.?
2. What terms were used instead of “colony” to refer to the island?
3. What economic changes occurred during this period in the island and how did
this contribute to making it a “poorhouse”?
4. What Colony did Governor Davis use as a model for his proposal for civil
government for P.R.?
5. Describe Davis’ proposal for civil government for P.R.
6. What was Secretary of War – Elihu Root ‘opinion on this proposal?
7. How did the special commissioner sent by McKinley to the island – Henry K. Carroll
describe the Puerto Ricans?
8. Why did he believe they should have more self government?
9. What two sides will emerge in the discussion of the Foraker Act?
10. What were the two main questions in the debate over the Foraker Act?
11. What groups opposed the extension of free trade to the island?
12. What larger issue influenced the debate about Puerto Rico?
13. What arguments emerged about the issue of citizenship for Puerto Ricans?
14. Describe the Foraker Act: What did it say about citizenship, free trade, and
incorporation? How was the government established in the island?
15. Why did Congressman William H. Jones oppose the Act?
16. What did Jones propose to protect the island from corporate latifundia and
what resolution was finally approved?
Pages 157 – 161 The Problems of Implementation
17. What was the Supreme Court‘s decision on the so – called Insular Cases?
18. How did the classification of “unincorporated territory” offer economic and
fiscal advantage to the island?
19. What was the position of the Democratic Party in U.S. towards the Foraker Act?
20. What happened in the Municipal elections in the island?
21. How did the Republicans in the island react to the Foraker Act?
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Puerto Rican History Honors
22. How did the Federalists react to the Foraker Act?
23. Why did the Federalists resign from the Executive Council?
24. What were the “turbas” and how did the Federalist Party react to this?
25. What economic measures were approved in the Republican controlled House
of Delegates and what were their effects on the landowners?
26. What was meant by this being a period of “tabula rasa”?
27. What were the results of the election of 1902?
28. What were the attitudes of Governor Allen and Hunt to the politics of the island?
29. What did Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón believe should be done to solve the
problems of the island?
30. Who founded the Partido Union de Puerto Rico and what did it believe in?
Pages 161 – 164 The Unionist Challenge
31. What sectors of the island population formed the Union Party?
32. What happened in the elections of 1904?
33. How did the new governor Beckman Winthrop deal with the Unionists?
34. What did Theodore Roosevelt propose for the island?
35. How did Muñoz Rivera and the Unionist party react to those proposals?
36. What were Theodore Roosevelt’s observations of the island and its people during
his visit?
37. How did the House of Delegates respond?
38. What did Muñoz Rivera do and how did the newly elected unionist delegates in
1908 react to the political situation?
Pages 165 – 170 The Economic Backdrop
39. What was the contradiction in the economic backdrop of the island?
40. How had the health of the island improved?
41. What was the issue with the Agricultural Credit Bank?
42. Why did the House of Delegates go on strike and what did that entail?
43. How did the governor respond?
44. How did President Taft respond to this controversy?
45. What was the Olmstead amendment?
46. What was the only positive result of this controversy?
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Puerto Rican History Honors
47. How did the Taft administration plan to break the Unionist dominance in P.R.?
48. How was Governor Colton’s attitude different and what positive result came out
of his administration?
49. What was the difference between those Colton called “substantial people” and
those he called radical politicians?
50. What was the Olmstead Bill of 1910 and what happened to it?
51. What happened in the island elections of 1910?
52. What were the three issues that will dominate the discussion of what changes
should be done to the government of P.R. in the U.S. Congress?
53. How did Governor Colton try to placate the Unionists?
Page 170 – 172
The Stimson Proposal
54. What did Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson propose should be done with the
island of Puerto Rico and why?
55. Why did Muñoz consider his position contradictory and how did they reach an
understanding?
56. Who were the American allies of Puerto Rico in the quest for self – government
and what did they propose?
57. How did Taft change his position at the end of his presidency?
People, Terms and Places:
Governor Davis
Charles H. Allen
William H. Hunt
Beckman Winthrop
Regis H. Prost
George R. Colton
Theodore Roosevelt
William H. Taft
Elihu Root
Henry K. Caroll
Joseph P. Foraker
William H. Jones
Samuel Gompers
Bailey K. Ashford
J.M. Dickinson
Trinidad
El Diario
The Puerto Rico Herald
Foraker Act
Joint Resolution 116
Election of one Hundred
days
Partido Republicano
Partido Federalista
Partido Union de P.R.
Insular Cases
Olmstead Amendment
Olmstead Bill
Bureau of Insular Affairs –
War Department
Stimson Proposal
Luis Muñoz Rivera
José Celso Barbosa
Rosendo Matienzo
Cintrón
José De Diego
Unincorporated territory
Dependency /
possession
Gerrymandering
Personalismo
Tabula rasa
Quid pro quo
Barbosistas/muñocistas
Carpet bag government
King sugar
Substantial people /
radical politicians
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