What reaction would U.S. forces encounter in Puerto Rico after the United States government decided to seize this final Spanish stronghold in the Caribbean during its war with Spain?

During the Spanish-American War of 1898, when the United States government decided to seize Puerto Rico from Spain, U.S. forces encountered minimal military resistance. The Puerto Rican campaign was primarily a military operation intended to oust Spanish colonial rule. The main military encounter was the landing at Guánica on July 25, 1898, by U.S. forces led by General Nelson A. Miles. The reception by the local population was mixed, with some welcoming the Americans as liberators and others viewing them with suspicion as conquerors.

To give more detail, the United States invaded Puerto Rico not only as a strategic move to control the Caribbean but also with an ideological backdrop of Manifest Destiny and the notion of bringing liberty to the island. During the short campaign, there were skirmishes and battles, such as the Battle of Guánica, where U.S. troops met with some Spanish resistance.

Following the invasion, the Treaty of Paris was signed in December 1898, which officially ended the Spanish-American War. As a result of the treaty, Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States, along with other former Spanish territories such as Guam and the Philippines. The U.S. military government that initially took control over the island began to implement changes, with the Foraker Act of 1900 establishing a civilian government.

The Spanish-American War, as the name suggests, was a conflict between Spain and the United States that occurred in 1898. The primary causes were America's support for the ongoing struggle for independence by Cuban and Philippine rebels against Spanish rule, and the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor. Following the war, Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States.

The response of the Puerto Rican people towards American troops was complex. While some did indeed welcome the troops, hoping for an improvement over Spanish colonial rule, others were guarded and skeptical, fearing the replacement of one colonial power with another. Over time, the political status of the island would become a contentious issue, with debates revolving around statehood, continued territory status, or independence.

The aftermath of the Spanish-American War also raised significant questions about the United States' role in the world and marked a turning point where the U.S. began to establish itself as a global power. The acquisition of territories like Puerto Rico signified a shift from a nation with mainly continental ambitions to an emerging imperial power with overseas colonies. This new status brought new responsibilities and controversies over the extent and nature of American influence abroad, including discussions on citizenship rights, cultural assimilation, and the governance of non-continental territories.