This is the only available book that interprets Puerto Rico's first and most significant attempt to end its colonial dependence on Spain. Looking at the imperial policies and conditions within Puerto Rico which led to the 1868 rebellion known as El Grito de Lares, the author compares the colonization of Puerto Rico with that of Spanish America, and explores why the island's independence movement began decades after Spain's other colonies in the region had revolted.
Through the extensive use of previously unresearched archival materials, the author examines the economic and social backgrounds of the leaders of the rebel movement, corrects many errors found in earlier accounts of the revolt, and offers new interpretations of its impact on Spanish-Puerto Rican relations.
