{"id":25555,"date":"2025-07-04T23:47:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T23:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/history\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T08:47:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:47:57","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

History<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\n \n \n History of the House of Representatives<\/title>\n \n <!-- Font imports -->\n <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/use.typekit.net\/YOURKIT.css\"> <!-- Replace with your Adobe Fonts kit for Trajan Pro -->\n \n <style>\n \/* Font-face declarations for GT America if you have the files *\/\n @font-face {\n font-family: 'GT America';\n src: url('path-to-gt-america-regular.woff2') format('woff2'),\n url('path-to-gt-america-regular.woff') format('woff');\n font-weight: 400;\n font-style: normal;\n }\n \n \/* Alternative: Use similar web-safe fonts as fallbacks *\/\n .timeline-container {\n font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;\n max-width: 900px;\n margin: 0 auto;\n padding: 30px 15px;\n background: transparent;\n border-radius: 15px;\n }\n\n .timeline-header {\n text-align: center;\n margin-bottom: 40px;\n animation: fadeInDown 1s ease-out;\n }\n\n .timeline-header h1 {\n \/* Trajan Pro font - if you don't have it, using a similar serif *\/\n font-family: 'Trajan Pro 3', 'Trajan Pro', 'Trajan', 'Times New Roman', serif;\n font-size: 2em;\n margin-bottom: 8px;\n text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.1);\n font-weight: 700;\n letter-spacing: 0.02em;\n }\n \n .timeline-header h1 .historia {\n color: #151D27;\n }\n \n .timeline-header h1 .camara {\n color: #263242;\n }\n\n .timeline-header p {\n \/* Trajan Pro font - matching the title font *\/\n font-family: 'Trajan Pro 3', 'Trajan Pro', 'Trajan', 'Times New Roman', serif;\n color: #377E7F;\n font-size: 0.95em;\n max-width: 600px;\n margin: 0 auto;\n line-height: 1.5;\n font-weight: 700;\n }\n\n .timeline {\n position: relative;\n padding: 20px 0;\n margin-bottom: 50px;\n }\n\n .timeline::before {\n content: '';\n position: absolute;\n left: 50%;\n transform: translateX(-50%);\n width: 3px;\n height: 100%;\n background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #427970, #2c4a47);\n border-radius: 2px;\n opacity: 0.3;\n }\n\n .timeline-progress {\n position: absolute;\n left: 50%;\n transform: translateX(-50%);\n width: 3px;\n height: 0%;\n background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #427970, #2c4a47);\n border-radius: 2px;\n transition: height 0.5s ease;\n z-index: 1;\n }\n\n .timeline-event {\n position: relative;\n margin: 30px 0;\n opacity: 0;\n transform: translateY(20px);\n transition: all 0.5s ease;\n }\n\n .timeline-event.visible {\n opacity: 1;\n transform: translateY(0);\n }\n\n .timeline-event.active .timeline-content {\n transform: scale(1.02);\n box-shadow: 0 8px 25px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.25);\n border-color: #427970;\n }\n\n .timeline-content {\n position: relative;\n width: 42%;\n padding: 15px 20px;\n background: white;\n border-radius: 8px;\n box-shadow: 0 3px 15px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.1);\n transition: all 0.3s ease;\n cursor: pointer;\n border: 2px solid transparent;\n font-size: 0.9em;\n }\n\n .timeline-content:hover {\n transform: translateY(-3px);\n box-shadow: 0 6px 20px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.15);\n border-color: rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.3);\n }\n\n .timeline-event:nth-child(odd) .timeline-content {\n margin-left: auto;\n margin-right: 58%;\n }\n\n .timeline-event:nth-child(even) .timeline-content {\n margin-left: 58%;\n }\n\n .timeline-date {\n position: absolute;\n top: 50%;\n transform: translateY(-50%);\n width: 120px;\n text-align: center;\n font-weight: bold;\n color: #fff;\n background: linear-gradient(135deg, #427970 0%, #5a9b91 100%);\n padding: 6px 12px;\n border-radius: 20px;\n box-shadow: 0 3px 10px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.3);\n z-index: 3;\n font-size: 0.8em;\n transition: all 0.3s ease;\n }\n\n .timeline-event.active .timeline-date {\n transform: translateY(-50%) scale(1.1);\n box-shadow: 0 5px 15px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.4);\n }\n\n .timeline-event:nth-child(odd) .timeline-date {\n left: calc(50% + 20px);\n }\n\n .timeline-event:nth-child(even) .timeline-date {\n right: calc(50% + 20px);\n }\n\n .timeline-dot {\n position: absolute;\n width: 16px;\n height: 16px;\n background: #427970;\n border: 3px solid #fff;\n border-radius: 50%;\n top: 50%;\n left: 50%;\n transform: translate(-50%, -50%);\n z-index: 4;\n box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.2);\n transition: all 0.3s ease;\n cursor: pointer;\n }\n\n .timeline-event.active .timeline-dot {\n transform: translate(-50%, -50%) scale(1.4);\n background: #2c4a47;\n box-shadow: 0 0 0 6px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.3);\n }\n\n .timeline-content h3 {\n color: #2c4a47;\n margin-bottom: 8px;\n font-size: 1.1em;\n }\n\n .timeline-content p {\n color: #546e7a;\n line-height: 1.5;\n margin: 0;\n font-size: 0.9em;\n }\n\n .timeline-content .detail {\n margin-top: 10px;\n padding: 8px;\n background: #f0f7f6;\n border-left: 3px solid #427970;\n border-radius: 4px;\n font-size: 0.85em;\n }\n\n .timeline-content .members {\n display: inline-block;\n margin-top: 8px;\n padding: 3px 10px;\n background: #e3f0ed;\n color: #427970;\n border-radius: 15px;\n font-weight: 500;\n font-size: 0.8em;\n }\n\n .mini-nav {\n display: flex;\n justify-content: center;\n gap: 10px;\n margin-bottom: 30px;\n flex-wrap: wrap;\n }\n\n .mini-nav button {\n padding: 6px 12px;\n background: white;\n border: 2px solid #427970;\n border-radius: 20px;\n color: #427970;\n font-size: 0.8em;\n cursor: pointer;\n transition: all 0.3s ease;\n }\n\n .mini-nav button:hover,\n .mini-nav button.active {\n background: #427970;\n color: white;\n }\n\n .full-text-section {\n background: white;\n padding: 30px;\n border-radius: 12px;\n box-shadow: 0 5px 20px rgba(66, 121, 112, 0.1);\n margin-top: 40px;\n animation: fadeInUp 1.5s ease-out;\n }\n\n .full-text-section h2 {\n color: #2c4a47;\n font-size: 1.6em;\n margin-bottom: 20px;\n text-align: center;\n position: relative;\n padding-bottom: 15px;\n }\n\n .full-text-section h2::after {\n content: '';\n position: absolute;\n bottom: 0;\n left: 50%;\n transform: translateX(-50%);\n width: 60px;\n height: 2px;\n background: linear-gradient(to right, transparent, #427970, transparent);\n }\n\n .full-text-content {\n text-align: justify;\n line-height: 1.7;\n color: #3a3a3a;\n font-size: 0.9em;\n }\n\n .full-text-content p {\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n text-indent: 20px;\n }\n\n .full-text-content strong {\n color: #427970;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n\n @keyframes fadeInUp {\n from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(30px); }\n to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }\n }\n\n @keyframes fadeInDown {\n from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(-30px); }\n to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }\n }\n\n @media (max-width: 768px) {\n .timeline::before {\n left: 30px;\n }\n\n .timeline-progress {\n left: 30px;\n }\n\n .timeline-event {\n margin: 60px 0;\n position: relative;\n }\n\n .timeline-event:nth-child(odd) .timeline-content,\n .timeline-event:nth-child(even) .timeline-content {\n width: calc(100% - 80px);\n margin-left: 60px;\n margin-right: 0;\n margin-top: 0;\n }\n\n .timeline-event:nth-child(odd) .timeline-date,\n .timeline-event:nth-child(even) .timeline-date {\n position: absolute;\n left: 60px;\n right: auto;\n top: -40px;\n transform: none;\n width: auto;\n font-size: 0.75em;\n padding: 5px 12px;\n }\n \n .timeline-event.active .timeline-date {\n transform: scale(1.05);\n }\n\n .timeline-dot {\n left: 30px;\n top: 50%;\n transform: translate(-50%, -50%);\n }\n\n .timeline-event.active .timeline-dot {\n transform: translate(-50%, -50%) scale(1.4);\n }\n\n .timeline-header h1 {\n font-size: 1.5em;\n }\n\n .mini-nav {\n padding: 0 10px;\n }\n }\n <\/style>\n\n\n <div class=\"timeline-container\">\n <div class=\"timeline-header\">\n <h1><span class=\"historia\">History<\/span> <span class=\"camara\">of the House of Representatives<\/span><\/h1>\n <p>The evolution of Puerto Rico's oldest legislative body<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"mini-nav\">\n <button onclick=\"scrollToEvent(0)\" class=\"nav-btn\">1897<\/button>\n <button onclick=\"scrollToEvent(1)\" class=\"nav-btn\">1898<\/button>\n <button onclick=\"scrollToEvent(2)\" class=\"nav-btn\">1900<\/button>\n <button onclick=\"scrollToEvent(3)\" class=\"nav-btn\">1917<\/button>\n <button onclick=\"scrollToEvent(4)\" class=\"nav-btn\">1948<\/button>\n <button onclick=\"scrollToEvent(5)\" class=\"nav-btn\">1950<\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline\">\n <div class=\"timeline-progress\"><\/div>\n \n <div class=\"timeline-event\">\n <div class=\"timeline-content\">\n <h3>Spanish Autonomic Charter<\/h3>\n <p>First House of Representatives under the Spanish regime.<\/p>\n <div class=\"detail\">\n <strong>Composition:<\/strong> 32 members elected by the people + Administrative Council of 15 members (8 elected, 7 appointed by the Governor)\n <\/div>\n <span class=\"members\">32 Representatives<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-date\">Nov 25, 1897<\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-dot\" onclick=\"activateEvent(0)\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline-event\">\n <div class=\"timeline-content\">\n <h3>Arrival of the United States<\/h3>\n <p>U.S. troops arrive, end of the Spanish regime.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-date\">July 25, 1898<\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-dot\" onclick=\"activateEvent(1)\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline-event\">\n <div class=\"timeline-content\">\n <h3>Foraker Act<\/h3>\n <p>First civil government under the United States.<\/p>\n <div class=\"detail\">\n <strong>Changes<\/strong>: House of Delegates with 35 elected members + Executive Council with 11 members appointed by the President of the U.S.\n <\/div>\n <span class=\"members\">35 Delegates<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-date\">April 12, 1900<\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-dot\" onclick=\"activateEvent(2)\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline-event\">\n <div class=\"timeline-content\">\n <h3>Jones Act<\/h3>\n <p>First true Legislative Branch with both chambers elected.<\/p>\n <div class=\"detail\">\n <strong>New structure<\/strong>: House of Representatives with 39 members + Senate with 19 members, all directly elected\n <\/div>\n <span class=\"members\">39 Representatives<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-date\">March 2, 1917<\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-dot\" onclick=\"activateEvent(3)\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline-event\">\n <div class=\"timeline-content\">\n <h3>Election of the Governor<\/h3>\n <p>Governor elected by the people every four years.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-date\">1948<\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-dot\" onclick=\"activateEvent(4)\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline-event\">\n <div class=\"timeline-content\">\n <h3>Law 600<\/h3>\n <p>Reorganization of districts and current structure.<\/p>\n <div class=\"detail\">\n <strong>Current division:<\/strong> 8 senatorial districts and 40 representative districts\n <\/div>\n <span class=\"members\">Current system<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-date\">July 1950<\/div>\n <div class=\"timeline-dot\" onclick=\"activateEvent(5)\"><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"full-text-section\" id=\"fullTextSection\">\n <h2>Complete History of the House of Representatives<\/h2>\n <div class=\"full-text-content\">\n <p>\n <strong>History of the House of Representatives<\/strong> \u2013 The House of Representatives is Puerto Rico\u2019s oldest legislative body. Its beginnings date back to November 25, 1897, when the short-lived Autonomic Charter granted to the Island by the Spanish regime at the time called for the creation of a House of Representatives composed of 32 members entirely elected by the Puerto Rican people. This House was joined by an Administrative (or Executive) Council of 15 members, eight of whom were elected by an Electoral College and the remaining seven appointed by the Governor General on behalf of the King. The House of Delegates and the Administrative Council held equal legislative powers. Therefore, what we might call our first Parliament was not fully elected by the people. At that time, the Island was divided into eight electoral districts. \n <\/p>\n \n <p>\n On July 25, 1898, exactly eight months after that House of Representatives came into effect, U.S. troops arrived in Puerto Rico, and on the following October 18, the sovereignty of the United States of America over Puerto Rico began. On April 12, 1900\u2014after a brief period of military rule\u2014Congress approved Puerto Rico\u2019s first civil government: the Foraker Act, which provided, starting May 1 of that year, a Civil Governor for the Island and a Legislative Assembly consisting of a House of Delegates with 35 members fully elected by Puerto Ricans, and an Executive Council of 11 members, all appointed by the President of the United States. Of those 11 members of the Council (which functioned as a sort of Upper House), six held cabinet positions under the Governor, which clearly deviated from the democratic principle of the separation of Executive, Legislative, and Judicial powers. \n <\/p>\n \n <p>\n The previous composition of the Legislative Branch remained in place until 1917. On March 2 of that year, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Jones Act\u2014based on congressional legislation previously introduced by Representative William Jones\u2014which established the Island\u2019s first true Legislative Branch. It created a House of Representatives with 39 members and a Senate with 19 members, all directly elected by the Island\u2019s voters. Puerto Rico was divided into seven senatorial districts and 35 representative districts. \n <\/p>\n \n <p>\n With the approval by the United States Congress of Law 600 in July 1950, the Island was divided into eight senatorial districts and 40 representative districts, a structure that remains in effect today. The Executive Branch continued to be headed by a Governor elected every four years by the Puerto Rican electorate, as had been the case since 1948. \n <\/p>\n\n <p>\n <strong>Composition <\/strong>\u2013 The Lower House or House of Delegates was composed of thirty-five (35) members elected every two years. The Upper House, also known as the Executive Council, was composed of eleven (11) members all appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, for a term of four years. Of these eleven (11) members, six (6) were part of the Governor\u2019s cabinet: a Secretary, an Attorney General, a Commissioner of the Interior, a Commissioner of Education, a Treasurer, and an Auditor. In addition to their legislative roles, they also served as advisors to the Governor and managed their respective executive departments. \n <\/p>\n \n <p>\n A Legislative Assembly was thus established, composed of a Senate with nineteen (19) elected members and a House of Representatives with thirty-nine (39) elected members, both elected by the people. The Governor was granted absolute veto power over budgetary and appropriations matters, and a conditional veto on other laws or resolutions. In the latter case, if two-thirds of both Chambers overrode the Governor\u2019s veto, they could appeal to the President of the United States, who was required to decide in favor or against within ninety (90) days. If no action was taken within that period, the resolution would go into effect.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <script>\n let currentActive = -1;\n\n \/\/ Initialize timeline on load\n document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {\n const events = document.querySelectorAll('.timeline-event');\n const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {\n entries.forEach(entry => {\n if (entry.isIntersecting) {\n entry.target.classList.add('visible');\n updateProgress();\n }\n });\n }, { threshold: 0.5 });\n\n events.forEach(event => observer.observe(event));\n \n \/\/ Auto-activate first event\n setTimeout(() => activateEvent(0), 500);\n });\n\n function activateEvent(index) {\n const events = document.querySelectorAll('.timeline-event');\n const navBtns = document.querySelectorAll('.nav-btn');\n \n \/\/ Remove active from all\n events.forEach(e => e.classList.remove('active'));\n navBtns.forEach(b => b.classList.remove('active'));\n \n \/\/ Add active to clicked\n events[index].classList.add('active');\n navBtns[index].classList.add('active');\n currentActive = index;\n }\n\n function scrollToEvent(index) {\n const events = document.querySelectorAll('.timeline-event');\n events[index].scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'center' });\n setTimeout(() => activateEvent(index), 300);\n }\n\n function updateProgress() {\n const timeline = document.querySelector('.timeline');\n const progress = document.querySelector('.timeline-progress');\n const events = document.querySelectorAll('.timeline-event.visible');\n \n if (events.length > 0) {\n const lastVisible = events[events.length - 1];\n const timelineHeight = timeline.offsetHeight;\n const lastEventPos = lastVisible.offsetTop + lastVisible.offsetHeight \/ 2;\n const percentage = (lastEventPos \/ timelineHeight) * 100;\n progress.style.height = percentage + '%';\n }\n }\n\n \/\/ Keyboard navigation\n document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {\n const events = document.querySelectorAll('.timeline-event');\n if (e.key === 'ArrowDown' && currentActive < events.length - 1) {\n activateEvent(currentActive + 1);\n scrollToEvent(currentActive);\n } else if (e.key === 'ArrowUp' && currentActive > 0) {\n activateEvent(currentActive - 1);\n scrollToEvent(currentActive);\n }\n });\n <\/script>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c32e4ca e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c32e4ca\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ad774b6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ad774b6\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>History History of the House of Representatives History of the House of Representatives The evolution of Puerto Rico’s oldest legislative body 1897 1898 1900 1917 1948 1950 Spanish Autonomic Charter First House of Representatives under the Spanish regime. Composition: 32 members elected by the people + Administrative Council of 15 members (8 elected, 7 appointed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25555","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25555"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25556,"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25555\/revisions\/25556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camara.pr.gov\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}