America & The Philippines

Paper Summary:

This paper is a historical overview of American imperialism in the Philippines. Americans launched their campaign against Spanish rule in the Philippines and once the Spanish-American War ended, they accepted the sole ownership of the Philippines from Spain as part of its spoils, and began planning the country's annexation to the United States. This move caused a rebellion led by Philippine native warrior Aguinaldo. This paper describes the impact of this event both on American history as well as Philippino history.

From the Paper:

"Emilio Aguinaldo admired America and the ideals of freedom and justice for which she stood. Watching the efforts of the United States as it intervened between the country of Cuba and the oppression of its Spanish rule gave him hope for the future of his own country, the Philippines, which had also been ruled by Spain for the past three centuries. Aguinaldo, noted Filipino independence movement rebel and leader, called himself "the George Washington of the Philippines" and aided the Americans in any way possible as they launched their campaign against Spanish rule in the Philippines (Buschini http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/gift.
html). This allegiance turned to rebellion, however, once the Spanish-American War ended, for at its end the victorious Americans banished Aguinaldo from negotiations, accepted the sole ownership of the Philippines from Spain as part of its spoils, and began planning the country's annexation to the United States. Aguinaldo, as well as all other Filipino natives, was justified in his outrage and rebellion, for America had no valid political, moral or ethical right to take what was not hers. In attempting to claim ownership of this country that was desperately striving to follow the United States' footsteps in the pursuit of basic rights and freedoms, especially for reasons of economical as well as political gain, America muddied those hallowed footsteps with a season of imperialism that went against every truth she ever held to be self-evident."

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