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April 12

McKinley Signs Foraker Act: Puerto Rico Gains Self-Rule

President McKinley signed the Foraker Act, establishing civilian government in Puerto Rico and granting the island limited self-rule two years after the Spanish-American War. The legislation created a colonial framework with an appointed governor and limited local representation that would define the island's contested political status for over a century.

April 12, 1900

126 years ago

What Else Happened on April 12

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