Foraker Act (1900) - Organic Act of Puerto Rico

The Foraker Act (officially the Organic Act of 1900), signed into law on April 12, 1900, established a civilian government in Puerto Rico following two years of U.S. military rule. It was the first federal law to define Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States.

Key provisions:
- Created a governor appointed by the U.S. President
- Established an Executive Council (upper legislative chamber) appointed by the President
- Created an elected House of Delegates (lower chamber) with limited powers
- Designated Puerto Ricans as "citizens of Porto Rico" (not U.S. citizens)
- Established a Resident Commissioner in Washington with voice but no vote
- Applied all U.S. federal laws to Puerto Rico
- Imposed U.S. tariffs and customs laws

The Act gave Puerto Rico even less autonomy than it had enjoyed under Spain's Autonomous Charter of 1897, which had granted Puerto Rico its own parliament with real legislative power. Under the Foraker Act, the governor and Executive Council — all appointed from Washington — could veto any legislation from the elected House of Delegates.