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The introduction of a flag in Puerto Rico can be traced to when Christopher Columbus landed on the islands shores and with the flag appointed to him by the Spanish Crown claimed the island, which he named "San Juan Bautista", in the name of Spain . The Conquistadores under the command of Juan Ponce De Leon proceeded to conquer and settle the island. They carried as their military standard the "Spanish Expediton Flag". After the island was conquered and colonized, the official flag of the colony was the flag of Spain. HISTORICAL FLAGS OF PUERTO RICO Once the Spanish armed forces established themselves on the island they began the construction of military fortifications such as La Fortaleza , Fort San Felippe El Morro , Fort San Cristobal and San Geronimo. The Spanish Army designed the "Burgundy Cross Flag" and adopted it as their standard. This flag flew wherever there was a military installation. The independence movement in Puerto Rico gained momentum with the liberation successes of Simon Bolivar and José De San Martín 's in South America . In 1868, local independence leader Ramon Emeterio Betances urged Mariana Bracetti to knit a revolutionary flag using the flag of the Dominican Republic as an example. She knitted the flag with a yellow star in the left upper corner. The "Revolutionaty Flag of Lares" was used in the short lived rebellion against Spain in what became known as ''' El Grito De Lares ''' (The Cry of Lares). In 1873 , the Spanish Crown issued a new colonial flag for Puerto Rico. The new flag resembled the flag of Spain with the only difference that it had the Coat of Arms of Puerto Rico in the middle. This flag was used in the island until 1898, the year that the island became a possession of the United States under the terms of the Treaty Of Paris (1898) as the aftermath of the Spanish-American War . Francisco Gonzalo Marin is credited with designing the Puerto Rican Flag in 1892. He used the Cuban Flag as a model and inverted the colors in the flags triangle and stripes. He presented the flag in New York's "Chimney Corner Hall" a gathering place of independence advocates. The flag "Puerto Rican Flag" (with the light blue triangle) soon came to symbolize the ideals of the Puerto Rican independence movement. It should be noted that some people believe that Manuel Besosa was the designer, based on a letter written by his daughter. The flag was banned by the Spanish Crown and later by the American insular government. The flag consists of 5 stripes that alternate from red to white. Three of the stripes are red with the other two being white. To the left of the flag is a light blue triangle that houses one white five-pointed star. Each parts of this flag have their own meanings. The three red stripes represented the blood from the brave warriors. The two white stripes represented the victory and peace that they would have after gaining independence. The white star represented the island of Puerto Rico. From 1898 to 1952 it was considered a crime and a felony to display the Puerto Rican flag in public, the only flag permitted to be flown in the island was the American Flag . In 1948, Puerto Ricans were permitted to elect a governor. The newly elected governor Luis Muñoz Marin and his administration adopted the Marin version of the Puerto Rican flag in 1952, with the exception that the triangle was a dark blue resembling that of the United States, and proclaimed it the Official National Flag of Puerto Rico. In 1995, the Puerto Rican government approved a change in the tone of color in the triangle from dark blue to sky blue.
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