The War Against All Puerto Ricans: Documented U.S. Colonial Violence

Nelson A. Denis's book "War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony" (2015) compiled extensive archival research documenting the systematic violence of U.S. colonial rule in Puerto Rico from 1898 through the 1960s.

Drawing on declassified FBI files, congressional records, and testimony from participants, Denis documented:

Systematic Surveillance: The FBI maintained files (carpetas) on over 100,000 Puerto Ricans — approximately 10% of the adult population. These files were used to deny employment, harass activists, and justify arrests.

The 1950 Insurrection Response: Denis provided detailed accounts of the U.S. military response to the 1950 Nationalist uprising, including the aerial bombing of Jayuya and Utuado and the mass arrests that followed.

Radiation Experiments: Denis compiled evidence supporting Pedro Albizu Campos's claims of being subjected to radiation experiments in prison, including medical records showing symptoms consistent with radiation exposure and the DOE's confirmation that such experiments were conducted on prisoners during the same period.

Political Persecution: The book documented the systematic legal persecution of independence advocates, including the use of grand juries, conspiracy charges, and the Gag Law to imprison people for political expression.

While the book drew criticism from some historians for interpretive choices and narrative style, its core documentary evidence — drawn from official U.S. government records — was not disputed. The book became a bestseller and brought the history of U.S. colonial violence in Puerto Rico to a broader audience than any previous work.

Denis's work is significant not as a primary source but as a compilation that made previously scattered archival evidence accessible and demonstrated the systematic rather than incidental nature of U.S. colonial violence.