Did you know that Puerto Rico once had its own constitution—completely unrelated to the United States?

Did you know that Puerto Rico once had its own constitution—completely unrelated to the United States?

Before the U.S. invasion in 1898, Puerto Rico was already a self-governing political entity. In 1897, the island was granted the 1897 Autonomic Constitution (Constitución Autonómica) by royal decree, establishing an elected Puerto Rican government, its own parliament, control over internal affairs, and recognition of Puerto Ricans as political citizens—not colonial subjects.

This constitution was not temporary, experimental, or symbolic. It was legally binding and could only be altered with the consent of Puerto Rico itself.

When the United States invaded in 1898, that constitution was ignored, suspended, and never restored—without a vote, without consent, and without international consultation.

Puerto Rico did not begin as a U.S. possession. It lost a constitution before it was ever allowed to gain another.