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.
