Imperialism and Colonialism: The United States' Legacy in Guam and Puerto Rico
Abstract
The relationship between colonialism and imperialism is deeply embedded in U.S. history. Colonial conquest laid the groundwork for imperial dominance today. This connection is illustrated by events like the Spanish-American War, which marked a transition in U.S. global influence, leading to control over territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico. These territories highlight the ongoing legacy of colonialism, where U.S. geopolitical and economic interests continue to shape local governance and economic inequalities.
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1. Colonialism Vs. Imperialism
Thanksgiving, often celebrated as a symbol of gratitude, reveals the colonial and genocidal roots of the United States. The real story behind Thanksgiving traces back to the Plymouth Colony in 1621, when settlers celebrated their return from a violent campaign against the Pequot tribe, resulting in the enslavement and murder of hundreds of Indigenous people. These acts of exploitation and violence became foundational to the colonies, allowing Europe to profit and enabling the future United States to portray itself as a bastion of liberty—though that liberty was not extended to all.
Colonialism, as a system of domination, extracted resources, imposed hierarchies and subjected Indigenous communities to systemic violence. Meanwhile, imperialism expanded these principles through indirect control and global dominance. This shift exemplifies the United States' emergence as an imperial power, particularly from the Spanish-American War to World War II. Today, the remnants of these systems persist in the political and economic struggles of territories like Guam and Puerto Rico, underscoring the need to address the enduring impact of colonialism and imperialism.
2. American Imperialism since the 19th Century: Guam and Puerto Rico
Following the United States’ success against Spain’s colonial powers across the Pacific in 1898, the U.S. was able to start exerting its control over several territories after Spain relinquished its power over Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam. This allowed the country to access trade and economic strongholds with Asia that it couldn’t previously secure.
In the coming centuries, the U.S. solidified its dominance through colonist and imperialistic ways with President Roosevelt’s construction of the Panama Canal in August 1914. This way of imperialist thinking and how the U.S conducts policy and economic priorities is only highlighted on the international stage with the way the U.S. repeatedly exerts its influence within the UN system, the International Criminal Court, and its influence of the global view in the wake of their current relationship with Guam and Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico
At the end of the Spanish-American War, as the U.S.’ objective was to gain a stronghold in the Pacific and Atlantic, battleships arrived in Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898, with about 16,000 soldiers. Before the war, Puerto Rico trialed some independence from Spain in 1987. Therefore, when America took control of the Island from the Spanish, the residents were initially enthusiastic about the opportunity to participate in the democratic processes and valued the U.S.’s promotion and economic empowerment- but this feeling would be short-lived.
From the start of the U.S. military occupation in 1989, American business investments provided lucrative economic opportunities for the Island. This caused many locals to lose economic empowerment over their resources as American interests continued to become entangled with the Spanish trade routes. Imports from San Juan included tobacco, sugar, and molasses, which were sold out of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S. This increase in economic opportunity led to the implementation of the Foraker Law of April 1900, which imposed trade tariffs, created a local government headed by a governor appointed by American Presidents and ultimately denied Puerto Ricans of U.S. citizenship. The U.S. Congress established a legislative branch with a Senate and House of Representatives to continue this colonial trend and officially granted citizens American citizenship under the Jones Act. Subsequently, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Insular Cases under President McKinley eradicated the Island’s territorial autonomy and socio-economic development. Many of these rulings are still in effect today. Due to this systematic change in government, the economy evolved from “a mercantilist system under Spain to a capitalist system” with increased sugarcane production and business growth. This allowed the Island to prosper economically but with limited social empowerment. Under immense stress, mass immigration to the U.S. developed in the 1930s.
Since then, Puerto Rico has suffered from continued economic fluctuation under the Operation Bootstrap Plan in the 1950s. This plan allowed businesses to receive a tax incentive but caused a financial collapse over the next few decades. Recently, in the wake of the global economic recessions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hurricane devastation, Puerto Rico found itself in $123 million in debt, causing the declaration of bankruptcy in 2017. As of 2022, the U.S. has worked to establish a repayment plan for the Island to pay off its debt. But the economic outlook for Puerto Rico remains dire, and many experts say it’s in crisis with extreme unemployment rates and rising poverty. Residents continue to push for political status change for the Island, but many say the U.S. could do more to ease the crisis. In April 2021, President Biden allocated more than $8 million in humanitarian aid in the wake of a series of hurricanes destroying most of the land and reestablished a task force assigned with federal resources to increase policy coordination with Puerto Rico.
However, the talk of Puerto Rico’s break from American imperialism remains undiscussed and, with the election of former President Trump, remains unlikely.
Guam:
Similarly, the U.S.’s involvement in imperialism is apparent with Guam, as the Island has been a territory since December 10, 1898, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris with Spain. Once a colony of Spain, on June 20, 1898, Governor Juan Marina spotted four ships- one of which was a warship- in the distance en route to the Island. The ships were on their way to the Philippines then, but it officially marked the end of Spanish influence. Immediately, Guam became an American naval base for the next 50 years. During this time, Guam has played a role in supporting geopolitical interests in the Pacific region.
The U.S. positions itself as needing Guam geopolitically as the perfect steppingstone between Cuba and the Philippines. The U.S. has worked to insert its dominance over the territory by providing infrastructure and extending certain American rights to citizens. However, as decades passed, Guam residents resisted the U.S. Navy’s control of their country following U.S. Supreme Court cases reaffirming the U.S.’ “absolute authority” under the Insular Cases starting in 1901. Though these political movements and resistance have failed with the current political tensions between the U.S, North Korea, and China, Guam has proven its importance with the U.S government pledging in 2023 to invest “$7.3 billion military construction plan for Guam, including an additional $1.7 billion for an integrated missile defense system”. Therefore, any chances of independence against American imperialism in the near future remain stalemate.
3. Conclusions and Recommendations
The cases of Guam and Puerto Rico demonstrate the enduring impacts of colonialism and imperialism within the modern geopolitical and economic landscape. The experiences of these territories highlight the complexity of decolonisation in a world where imperialist systems remain entrenched in political, financial, and cultural dimensions. Addressing these legacies is critical to creating a just and equitable global order. It can be done by:
Empowering Local Movements, by supporting grassroots movements in Guam and Puerto Rico advocating for political self-determination and cultural preservation.
Promoting International Advocacy by leveraging international platforms, such as the United Nations, to spotlight the decolonisation challenges of territories like Guam and Puerto Rico.
Cultural Revitalisation, like investing in initiatives that preserve and celebrate the unique cultural identities of Guam and Puerto Rico and provide resources for education, arts, and heritage projects led by local communities to counteract the cultural erasure caused by colonial histories.
Address economic inequities by offering debt relief programs for Puerto Rico to stabilise its economy, reduce poverty, and invest in infrastructure and sustainable development programs in both territories to ensure long-term economic resilience.
These recommendations aim to foster decolonisation processes that respect the sovereignty and agency of the people of Guam and Puerto Rico while challenging the structures of imperialism that continue to limit their full potential.
4. Bibliography
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