Over fall break my mom and I spent the week in San Juan, Puerto Rico and we learned a lot about the history of it. Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, they have a different constitution that consists of 2 different preambles and 14 different articles.
The U.S constitution starts with a preamble that states... “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Then comes the 7 articles. The first article is about the Legislative Branch. The second article is about the Executive Branch. The third article is about the Judicial Branch. The fourth article is about The States. The fifth article is an amendment. The sixth article is about depts, supremacy and oaths. The seventh article is a ratification.
As for the Puerto Rico constitution, the preamble states... “We, the people of Puerto Rico, in order to organize ourselves politically on a fully democratic basis, to promote the general welfare, and to secure for ourselves and our posterity the complete enjoyment of human rights, placing our trust in Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the commonwealth which, in the exercise of our natural rights, we now create within our union with the United States of America. In so doing, we declare: The democratic system is fundamental to the life of the Puerto Rican community; We understand that the democratic system of government is one in which the will of the people is the source of public power, the political order is subordinate to the rights of man, and the free participation of the citizen in collective decisions is assured; We consider as determining factors in our life our citizenship of the United States of America and our aspiration continually to enrich our democratic heritage in the individual and collective enjoyment of its rights and privileges; our loyalty to the principles of the Federal Constitution; the co-existence in Puerto Rico of the two great cultures of the American Hemisphere; our fervor for education; our faith in justice; our devotion to the courageous, industrious, and peaceful way of life; our fidelity to individual human values above and beyond social position, racial differences, and economic interests; and our hope for a better world based on these principles.” Then comes the 7 articles. The first article is about the commonwealth. The second article is the bill of rights. The third article is about legislative power. The fourth article is about executive power. The fifth article is about judicial power. The sixth article is general provisions. The seventh article is an amendment.
So although Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, it still has its own constitution which means it follows its own rules.
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