Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898, as a result of the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the Spanish-American War and dictated that Spain cede the island to the U.S.
Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship by birth in 1917, but were not given the right to vote in U.S. presidential elections unless they were residents of the mainland. Since 1952, Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth of the U.S., which is similar to statehood. On several occasions, citizens of the island have voted on the issue of whether to remain a commonwealth, to petition for official statehood, or to become an independent nation.
