Semester of Graduation

Summer 2026

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This thesis explores the Puerto Rican revolutionary, Pedro Albizu Campos, and how he evolved from a typical independence-minded young man into a radical who actively rebelled against the colonial rule of the U.S. because of the pressures applied by law enforcement agencies, especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The United States annexed Puerto Rico in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. Ever since, many Puerto Ricans have strongly advocated for their independence from the continental U.S., shaping the relationship into the present day. This article argues that the pressure and strain of such an imperial relationship influenced Albizu Campos into violent revolutionism. This work contains seven chapters that trace Albizu Campos’s biography in relation to his activism and increasing radicalism until his final imprisonment in 1950, after a failed rebellion. Chapter one looks into his childhood, education, and brief stint in the U.S. military from his birth sometime in the 1890s to 1921, when he returned an educated and trained political figure. Chapter two tracks the period from 1921 to 1935, when he established himself and his political party in opposition to American colonial rule, as well as the rise of the Cadets of the Republic – a paramilitary organization under his command. Chapter three picks up in 1935 with a series of Nationalist Party bombings targeting symbols of American authority, and concludes in 1936 with the public assassination of the chief of police, an American. Chapter four continues by describing the federal response, the trial and imprisonment which followed, as well as the increasing pressure exerted on the system not only by the heavy-handed government, but the volatile Nationalists. Notable here is the increasingly retributive violence, particularly the Ponce Massacre of 1937. Chapter five follows Albizu Campos behind bars, his sickness and transfer to New York, and his ability to create political solidarity even when under government surveillance. Chapter six picks up in 1947, when Albizu Campos finally returned to Puerto Rico and immediately began preparing for a larger rebellion than ever before, as well as the FBI’s attempts to undercut Albizu Campos’s efforts. Chapter seven concludes with the unsuccessful 1950 rebellion, the preparedness of the government, and Albizu Campos’s final imprisonment. Together, these paint the image of a man cajoled into increasing violence as governmental forces sealed off alternative routes.

Date

5-14-2026

Committee Chair

Irwin, Julia F.

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

Download

Share

COinS