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Spanish Era: Politics

Civic Society, Historic Eras of Guam, Politics and Government, Spanish Era, Spanish Era: Politics

Forzado System and the Mariana Islands

 

The Spanish Forzado System. Before the Mariana Islands served as an official penal colony for political prisoners and criminals from Spain and her territories in the 19th century, the forzado system, or forced labor, brought many individuals to the islands in the form of conscripted laborers and soldiers. The forzado system imposed sentences of forced labor not only on those convicted of crimes, but others deemed “undesirable” by governing officials and provincial elite.

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Civic Society, Historic Eras of Guam, Politics and Government, Spanish Era: Politics, US Naval Era, US Naval Era: Politics

Spanish-American War

 

Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico became territories of the United States as part of the terms of the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the Spanish-American War of 1898. Since the war’s inception, scholars have written much about the motives behind United States’ policy makers’ decision to go to war with Spain, a war that thrust America into a new role as an imperial power.

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Civic Society, Historic Eras of Guam, Interpretive Essays, Modern Guam Rises, Politics and Government, Post WWII Era, Spanish Era, Spanish Era: Politics, US Naval Era

History of Democracy in Guam

 

A common political fallacy is that democracy was a babe born in Guam during the mid-20th century under American rule. The fact is that democracy had its beginning in Guam almost two centuries ago when benevolent Spanish authorities allowed the local electorates to choose their gobernadorcillos (mayors).

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