Spanish-American War and Imperialism · US History

The Insular Cases (1901) were Supreme Court rulings that determined:

  1. People in U.S. territories were automatically granted all Constitutional rights
  2. The U.S. must return the Philippines to Spain
  3. Puerto Rico was an independent nation
  4. The Constitution does not necessarily 'follow the flag' into new territories
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Correct answer: The Constitution does not necessarily 'follow the flag' into new territories

The Court ruled that the inhabitants of unincorporated territories (like Puerto Rico and the Philippines) did not automatically enjoy all American constitutional rights. This allowed the U.S. to govern these areas as colonies.

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