Philippine-American War

The Philippine-American War (1899–1902) was an unsuccessful rebellion by Filipinos opposing the annexation of the Philippines by the United States, to which the country had been ceded by Spain by Article 3 of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War. Although Filipinos had allied with the United States against Spain, they sought sovereignty, not new masters. The American government expressed skepticism of the Philippines’ ability to remain independent of foreign powers without U.S. protection but of course was also motivated by its own imperialist aims. Opposition to the annexation in the United States led to the founding of the Anti-Imperialist League on June 15, 1898, and was an important part of the ongoing dialogue on American foreign policy and the country's role in world affairs.

The Philippine archipelago had been inhabited for tens of thousands of years, and its communities had both cultural and trade relationships with other Asian countries long before the [Page 1699]Spanish claimed the territory in the 16th century and proceeded to colonize the islands. It was Spanish rule that led to political unity among the islands, which were governed first as part of New Spain and later as their own colonial unit. Roman Catholicism was quickly and firmly established. Although there were many revolts against Spanish rule, the organized push for independence began with dissatisfied Criollos—ethnic Spanish born in the Philippines—in the 1870s. The anti-colonialist secret society known as the Katipunan began the Philippine Revolution in 1896; American support arrived as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898, in which the United States intervened on Cuba's behalf in that colony's war for independence.

American assistance arrived on May 1, 1898, in the form of a fleet of warships were commanded by Admiral George Dewey. Dewey negotiated an alliance with Emilio Aguinaldo, one of the leaders of the rebellion, and the U.S. Navy defeated the Spanish in Manila Bay. Aguinaldo and Dewey's men were able to take the capital city of Manila, and the Filipinos declared themselves independent on June 12.

Spain surrendered to the United States, and the Spanish-American War ended on August 13, 1898. The new Filipino government had organized itself in the meantime, convening a new congress on September 15 and approving a new constitution on November 29. Aguinaldo was elected president on January 23, 1899. Schools were set up—free public schooling had been promised by Spanish law but had not been implemented—as well as a new university and currency.