Against a historical backdrop whose origins go back to the US's acquisition of Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War, the author examines in close detail the evolution of the statehood movement in that territory. . . . This volume will interest mostly professional scholars, graduate students, and general readers attuned to the Puerto Rican statehood issue and to such matters as ethnicity and constitutional development in societies still governed from a distant metropole- in this case, from Washington DC. The book is generally well written and readable. It contains a useful bibliography on the Puerto Rican statehood movement and a servicable index. Choice

Melendez presents the first comprehensive treatment of the statehood movement in Puerto Rico from the nineteenth century to the present day. Broad in scope, the discussion encompasses every major aspect of annexationism--programs, ideology, politics, changing support for statehood within the United States, and the influential role of the New Progressive Party--and offers a groundbreaking comparative analysis of statehood activities, parties, and conceptions throughout the history of the movement. Throughout, Melendez places particular emphasis on major changes and transformations in the movement, enabling the student of Puerto Rican politics to construct a more comprehensive picture of the evolution of Puerto Rican annexationism than has yet been available.