.The French occupation of Spain in 1808 under Napoleon cut off its American colonies temporarily. <span>2. A number of independence movements between 1810 and 1825 resulted in a chain of newly independent Latin American republics in South and Central America. </span> <span>3. The remainder of Spain's then–four hundred year empire, namely Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the Spanish East Indies, continued under Spanish control until the end of the 19th century, when most of these territories were annexed by the United States after the Spanish-American War. </span> <span>4. The remaining Pacific islands were sold to Germany in 1899.</span>
The First Amendment protects the right of individuals and groups to petition the US government. People with particular economic or social concerns often form interest groups to influence lawmakers to act on their behalf. Powerful and influential groups called political action committees have also arisen to finance political campaigns, mostly on a national level.
