The First Flag: Starting in 1493, the Spanish empire controlled Puerto Rico for more than 400 years, a violent period marked by the genocide of the indigenous Taíno people and the importation of ...

Painter Héctor Collazo Hernández is painting the Puerto Rican flag in each of the island’s towns. His project, 78 pueblos y 1 bandera, seeks to turn abandoned buildings into tourist attractions.

Like Puerto Rico today, Hawaii was a developed place when its residents applied for statehood. This is in contrast with some earlier states like Ohio and Wyoming that were carved out of sparsely ...