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You are here: Home / History / Why do Puerto Ricans celebrate El Grito de Lares and When?

Why do Puerto Ricans celebrate El Grito de Lares and When?

July 20, 2020 by Karen Hill

The holiday known as El Grito de Lares commemorates the night of September 23, 1868, when Puerto Ricans took over the town of Lares and demanded independence from Spain.

The revolt was crushed, but the “cry of Lares” had been heard. Slavery was abolished in 1873, and in 1897 the Spanish crown agreed to give Puerto Rico limited autonomy.

The island would have its own lawmaking parliament, though Spain reserved the right to disband it at will. Would the new government have worked? No one knows.

On July 25, 1898, before the government could take power, the United States invaded Puerto Rico.

Cuban soldiers were among those who fought against the United States in the Spanish American War. When Spain lost the war, its colonies, including Puerto Rico, fell under U.S. control.

Related Facts

  • What was the European Age of Exploration?
  • What Ethnicity are Puerto Ricans and Are Puerto Ricans black or white?
  • When did Puerto Ricans start migrating to the U.S. mainland in large numbers?
  • Why didn’t Puerto Ricans revolt against the Spanish Empire in the 1800s?
  • How many Islands does Puerto Rico have and What is the Capital of Puerto Rico?
  • Who was the first Puerto Rican elected to govern Puerto Rico in 1946?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What does Puerto Rico mean in Spanish and How did San Juan get its name?
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