A series of Supreme Court decisions concerning the status of territories acquired by the United States during the Spanish-American War. These rulings addressed whether constitutional rights automatically extended to the inhabitants of these newly acquired lands, such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The core question was whether the Constitution “followed the flag.”
The significance lies in the establishment of a legal framework for governing overseas territories. The Court determined that full constitutional rights did not automatically apply in these areas. Instead, Congress had the power to decide which rights, if any, would be extended. This distinction had far-reaching consequences, impacting the civil rights and political participation of the people living in these territories and solidifying the idea of “separate and unequal” treatment under the American flag. This legal precedent provided the foundation for the U.S. to exercise control over territories without fully integrating them into the nation.
