The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was first organized on September 17, 1922. Its main objective is to work for Puerto Rican Independence.

In 1930, Pedro Albizu Campos was elected president of the party. Under Albizu's leadership during the years of the Great depression, the party became the largest independence movement in Puerto Rico. However, after some disappointing electoral outcomes and a strong repression by the territorial police authorities, Albizu opted out of the electoral process and advocated violent revolution. This advocacy continued even after local democratic autonomy was established. After Albizu's death in 1965, the party split, and some factions opted to join with socialist movements. The majority of the party remains without leadership. For the last 50 years, the party has been undergoing a process of reorganization. The New York Junta (board) is an autonomous organ of the party that recognizes and is recognized by the National Junta in Puerto Rico. The vast majority of followers of independence movements in Puerto Rico belong to either the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) or the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP).