July 28, 1898 · Puerto Rico Theater
July 28, 1898
With Cuba's fate sealed, the United States opened a second front in Puerto Rico. On July 25, 1898, General Nelson Miles landed troops at Guánica on Puerto Rico's southern coast, and three days later American forces entered Ponce — the island's second largest city and its main commercial port — essentially without a fight. The local population was divided: some Puerto Ricans, hoping for independence or autonomy, welcomed American forces; others remained loyal to Spain. The Spanish garrison offered minimal resistance, and the city was occupied bloodlessly, with the American flag raised over the city hall.
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