As a result of U.S.
intervention in a conflict between Spain and Cuba, the Americans and the
Spanish began a war in 1898 which would span many waters known as the Spanish-American
War. The first battle of the war began as a preemptive strike by the United
States to demolish the Spanish Fleet in Manila, a key port city in the
Philippines, in order to prevent its arrival in Cuba. The battle ended in a
nearly perfect victory for the United States with only one American life lost,
bringing acclaim to Commodore George Dewey while causing the Spanish to
surrender. The U.S. collected Puerto
Rico and Guam as spoils and gained occupation of Manila until an agreement
could be formalized with a treaty (Jaycox).
Turning
to the Philippines as the final barrier in front of war’s end, interests were
heavily divided among involved parties. Filipinos were amidst a struggle for
independence against Spain with the Spanish reluctant to concede control, while
the U.S. sought a naval base to complement its recent annexation of Hawaii (Jaycox).
After the United States decided to press for total ownership of the islands,
Spain agreed to a deal as part of the Treaty of Paris in which the U.S. took
possession of the Philippines for 20 million dollars.
The Filipino people were moved from life under one colonial power to that of a stronger, newer one. With regard to the United States’ first venture into colonialism, though it solidified America’s role as a world power, it met with great criticism. American poet Carl Sandburg wrote of the Spanish-American spat that “It was a small war, edging toward immense consequences”, while British author Rudyard Kipling responded by publishing the poem The White Man’s Burden which popularized the use of its title phrase and simultaneously furthered the drama surrounding the United States’ move (Jaycox). The decision also sparked upset among Americans as debate in the Senate over the acquisition was picked up by citizens in both protest and support of U.S. imperialism. Though a movement toward ratification nearly granted independence to the Philippines in 1899, Filipino insurrection and the subsequent outbreak of the Philippine-American War delayed gratification for another 47 years.
