War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony

Nelson A Denis

Apr 2015 · Sold by Bold Type Books

About this ebook

The powerful, untold story of the 1950 revolution in Puerto Rico and the long history of U.S. intervention on the island, that the New York Times says "could not be more timely." In 1950, after over fifty years of military occupation and colonial rule, the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico staged an unsuccessful armed insurrection against the United States. Violence swept through the island: assassins were sent to kill President Harry Truman, gunfights roared in eight towns, police stations and post offices were burned down. In order to suppress this uprising, the US Army deployed thousands of troops and bombarded two towns, marking the first time in history that the US government bombed its own citizens.

Nelson A. Denis tells this powerful story through the controversial life of Pedro Albizu Campos, who served as the president of the Nationalist Party. A lawyer, chemical engineer, and the first Puerto Rican to graduate from Harvard Law School, Albizu Campos was imprisoned for twenty-five years and died under mysterious circumstances. By tracing his life and death, Denis shows how the journey of Albizu Campos is part of a larger story of Puerto Rico and US colonialism.

Through oral histories, personal interviews, eyewitness accounts, congressional testimony, and recently declassified FBI files, War Against All Puerto Ricans tells the story of a forgotten revolution and its context in Puerto Rico's history, from the US invasion in 1898 to the modern-day struggle for self-determination. Denis provides an unflinching account of the gunfights, prison riots, political intrigue, FBI and CIA covert activity, and mass hysteria that accompanied this tumultuous period in Puerto Rican history.

Ratings and reviews

My father was unaware of half of this information when he initially purchased the book two years ago, and he was born in raised in Bayamon. It was sent to me during my incarceration and it was life and thought changing. I've purchased it for three other Puerto Ricans, because I feel this history needs to be relearned, especially with what's going on in Puerto Rico now. People need to be prepared for history repeating. Nelson A Dennis did an amazing job from top to bottom.

took the book out fro local library very informative could not put it down. it has been a lon time since any book capitvated my attention.

After reading this book I no longer want Puerto Rico to become a state. After the book I have done some research and Puerto Rico's economy will be in much better shape without the "IMPERIO" americano. Puerto Rico HAVE to use the IMPERIO commercial maritime which is the most expensive in the world. U.S. provides P.R. some 4 billion dollars but they get back from P.R. more than 70 billion. Look it up its all out there. Puerto Rico LIBRE YA.

About the author

Nelson A. Denis was the editorial director of El Diario/La Prensa, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in NYC, and won the Best Editorial Writing award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, Denis served as a New York State Assemblyman (1997-2001) and has written for the New York Daily News, Newsday, and Harvard Political Review. Denis also wrote and directed the feature film Vote For Me!, which premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival.