Answer:
They didn't want all of those horrible events to be something they, or anyone else, had to remember.
The antecedent in the sentence is <u>Unclear, or confusing.</u>
The final result was the Jones Act of 1917, which converted the citizens of Puerto Rico into Americans, although not as a full-fledged non-State: they do not vote in the presidential elections and the laws passed by their government-elected for the first time by Puerto Ricans in 1948 - they can be vetoed by the United States.
In fact, although the Jones Act granted Puerto Rican civil rights (and also obligations, such as being part of the US military conscription: 20,000 Puerto Rican soldiers fought in World War I), the United States continued and continues to maintain control over its affairs. fiscal, economic, military, postal, etc.
They also committed to work in the territory of the Philippines so they can be independent.
It suggests that the racial makeup of these areas were predominantly European.
