Philippine History

1. Significance of
the Philippine
Revolution

2. Birth of
Filipino
Nation and
the Phil.
Republic
Founding
of the
Filipino
National
Church
Power
Struggle
and the
Triumph of
the Filipino
End of
Spanish
Rule in the
Philippines

3. Rationale of
American
Expansionism in
the Philippines

4. Rationale of American Expansionism in
the Philippines
Manifest Destiny
Economic Factors
Political
Religious
Military

5. Manifest Destiny
 Americans believed that it is their duty to
bring benefits of the civilization to ignorant
people abroad either conversion or
conquest.
 Proponents of Manifest Destiny anchored
their arguments on Charles Darwin’s
theory of “survival of the fittest” to support
the racial superiority of the Americans

6. Economic Factors
 The last decades of the 19th century saw a
phenomenal growth in American industries
and agriculture.
 New outlets for American capital and fresh
opportunities for their business interests had to
be found and developed outside US
 For a strong economic presence in Asia, the
US needed a base from where it could
expand trade and commerce.

7. Political
 US wanted to play a role in the power
politics in the Pacific.
 Americans desired colonies for power and
glory and the Philippines would be the first
apple of their American colonialism

8. Religious
 Protestants saw the Philippines as fertile ground
for spreading religion. An opportunity for US to
perform “humanitarian and evangelistic work”
and also extend the “the blessings of the
government”
 Philippines could be a jumping board for
missionary activities in Asia, especially in China
 American Catholic Church also wanted to
protect its economic interests in the islands.

9. Military
Philippines would be a base for
American operations in Asia to
protect their economic and
political interests

10. The Military Rule
 After Manila fell into the hands of Americans, President
McKinley ordered that the country be administered through
the military
 The military governors:
 General Wesley Merrit (1898-1899)
 General Elwell Otis (1900)
 General Arthur McArthur (1901)
 The military governors exercised executive, legislative and
judicial powers
Meritt Otis McArthu
r

11. Pacification Measures
 First Philippine Commission
 Headed by Jacob Schurman,
recommended the
establishment of a civil
government
 Second Philippine
Commission
 Headed by William Howard
Taft, embodied the principles
and ideals that would guide
American policy in the colony
 Met severe oppositions from
the Filipinos, US undertook
pacification measures.
William Howard Taft

12. Pacification Measures
Sedition Law
(1901)
• Advocating for Philippine independence
means death or long imprisonment
Brigandage
Act (1902)
• Classified guerrilla fighters as brigands or
ladrones
Recon-
centration
Act (1903)
• Forced residents of towns infested with
bandits and brigands to live in
designated military zones
Flag Law
(1907)
• Prohibited the display of Filipino flags,
banners, symbols, and other
paraphernalia

13. Pacification Measures
 Military Campaigns
 Brigadier General Jacob Smith ordered that Samar
should be turned into a “howling wilderness” and
persons from 10 y.o and up bearing arms were to
be killed
 Gen. Franklin Bell in Batangas ordered the burning
of towns where guerrillas operated as well as
starving the unarmed/armed hostile civilians if they
continue to remain outside the reconcentration
camps
 Barotac Viejo, Iloilo was razed to the ground
 Occupation army also committed abuses and
atrocities like the water cure

14. Pacification Measures
 The government deported uncompromising
nationalitists like Apolinario Mabini and Artemio
Ricarte
 Political parties like Nacionalista Party, who
advocated independence was banned opposite
to the advocacy of the Federal Party
 Public education system with English as the
medium of instruction was one of the best ways of
pacification
 Americans also suppressed nationalistic journalism
and literature.

15. Thank you!!