July 25, 1952 – Puerto Rico Constitution Day

Puerto Rico (which means “rich port” in Spanish) is a territory of the United States located in the Caribbean Sea between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands, approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.

Columbus named the island “San Juan Bautista,” in honor of Saint John the Baptist, while the capital city was named “Ciudad de Puerto Rico” (“Rich Port City”), but eventually visitors began referring to the entire island as Puerto Rico, while the name San Juan was used for the capital.

The territory’s total population is approximately 3.2 million, more than 20 U.S. states. It is not a state, however, and some Americans (including former U.S. President Donald Trump), don’t even seem to know it is an American territory.

The U.S. acquired Puerto Rico in 1898, following the Spanish–American War. Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since 1917, and can move freely between the island and the mainland. As it is not a state, however, Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the U.S. Congress, which however governs the territory with full jurisdiction under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950. Nor are Puerto Ricans able to vote for the US President or Vice President, although they can vote in those primaries. [Residents of the other four U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands) also do not have the right to vote in general elections.]

As part of the 1950 act, the U.S. Congress granted Puerto Ricans the right to organize a constitutional convention via a referendum; voters could either accept or reject a proposed U.S. law that would organize Puerto Rico as a “commonwealth” under continued U.S. sovereignty. That is, Congress would continue governing fundamental aspects of Puerto Rican society, including citizenship, currency, the postal service, foreign policy, military defense, commerce and finance, and other matters.

Flag of Puerto Rico

The Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved by the constitutional convention on February 6, 1952, and by 82% of voters in a March referendum. It was modified and ratified by the U.S. Congress, approved by President Truman on July 3 of that year, and proclaimed by Governor Muñoz Marín on July 25 1952.

July 25, which had been an official holiday in Puerto Rico commemorating the invasion of United States troops in Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898, is now known as Constitution Day. Parties, parades, speeches mark the occasion.