JONES ACT OF 1917 MARCH 1917 JONES ACT OF 1917 U.S GOV'T LEGISLATIVE REGION CARIBBEAN U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN MARCH 1917 CONGRESS PASSED THE JONES ACT OF 1917 ALSO KNOWN AS THE ORGANIC ACT FOR PUERTO RICO THE ACT WAS A RESPONSE TO PUERTO RICAN DEMANDS FOR GREATER AUTONOMY OR SELF GOVERNMENT THE JONES ACT AMENDED THE FORAKER ACT OF 1900 BY ALLOWING PUERTO RICANS TO ELECT THE MEMBERS OF THEIR UPPER HOUSE THE ACT ALSO GRANTED U.S CITIZENSHIP TO PUERTO RICANS AND FORMALLY MADE PUERTO RICO A U.S TERRITORY THE JONES ACT HOWEVER FELL SHORT OF MEETING THE DEMANDS FOR SELF GOVERNMENT THE ACT STILL ALLOWED THE U.S PRESIDENT TO APPOINT THE PUERTO RICAN GOVERNOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME COURT IN 1952 PUERTO RICO BECAME A COMMONWEALTH MEANING THAT PUERTO RICO WAS AUTONOMOUS OR SELF GOVERNING BUT VOLUNTARILY UNITED WITH THE UNITED STATES IN 1993 PUERTO RICO HELD ELECTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO APPLY FOR U.S STATEHOOD THE MAJORITY OF PUERTO RICANS CHOSE TO REMAIN A COMMONWEALTH
