Module 4 Philippine and American war

Through this module the students should be able to

A. to know the events that occurred during Philippine- American war:
B. to appreciate the efforts of the Filipinos who sacrificed their life for our
country; and
C. to make a reaction paper about the video that they analyze.

Discussion
Philippine-American War, war between the United States and Filipino revolutionaries from
1899 to 1902, an insurrection that may be seen as a continuation of the Philippine
Revolution against Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris (1898) had transferred
Philippine sovereignty from Spain to the United States but was not recognized by Filipino
leaders, whose troops were in actual control of the entire archipelago except the capital city
of Manila. Although an end to the insurrection was declared in 1902, sporadic fighting continued
for several years thereafter.

The End Of Spanish Rule And The First Philippine Republic

In preparation for possible war against Spain, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore
Roosevelt placed the U.S. Asiatic squadron in Hong Kong on alert. When war was declared in
April 1898, Commodore George Dewey sailed from Hong Kong and defeated the Spanish fleet
in Manila Bay on the morning of May 1, 1898, but he could not occupy Manila until ground
troops arrived three months later.
 

Battle of Manila BayBattle of Manila Bay, Philippines, undated print.Library of Congress,

Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: cph 3b52211)
Emilio AguinaldoEmilio Aguinaldo.Brown Brothers
In the meantime, on June 12, 1898, the Filipinos declared independence and proclaimed a
provisional republic with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo as president. Within days, on the other side of
the Pacific, the American Anti-Imperialist League had begun to take shape. This organization,
which opposed American involvement in the Philippines, grew into a mass movement that drew
support from across the political spectrum. Its members included luminaries such as social
reformer Jane Addams, industrialist Andrew Carnegie, philosopher William James, and
author Mark Twain.

On August 13 Manila fell after a bloodless “battle.” Spanish Gov. Fermín Jáudenes had secretly
arranged a surrender after a mock show of resistance to salvage his honour. American troops
were in possession of the city, but Filipino insurgents controlled the rest of the country. The
leaders of the nascent Philippine Republic did not recognize U.S. sovereignty over the islands,
and the U.S. rejected Filipino claims of independence; conflict was inevitable.

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On the night of February 4, 1899, shooting erupted on the outskirts of Manila. Morning found
the Filipinos, who had fought bravely, even recklessly, defeated at all points. While the fighting
was in progress, Aguinaldo issued a proclamation of war against the United States. Anti-
imperialist sentiment was strong in the United States, and on February 6 the U.S. Senate ratified
the treaty that concluded the Spanish-American War by a single vote. U.S. reinforcements were
immediately sent to the Philippines. Antonio Luna, the ablest commander among the Filipinos,
was given charge of their military operations but seems to have been greatly hampered by the
jealousy and distrust of Aguinaldo, which he fully returned. Luna was murdered, and on March
31, 1899, the rebel capital of Malolos was captured by U.S. forces.


 

Philippine-American War: ManilaPortion of the ruins of Manila, Philippines, after shelling by

U.S. forces in 1899.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Philippine-American War: burning of the Malolos headquarters of Emilio
AguinaldoBurning of the Malolos cathedral covent, headquarters of Emilio Aguinaldo during
the Philippine-American War, March 1899.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
In March 1900 U.S. Pres. William McKinley convened the Second Philippine Commission to
create a civil government for the Philippines (the existence of Aguinaldo’s Philippine Republic
was conveniently ignored). On April 7 McKinley instructed commission chairman William
Howard Taft to “bear in mind that the government which they are establishing is designed not for
our satisfaction, or for the expression of our theoretical views, but for the happiness, peace, and
prosperity of the people of the Philippine Islands.” While nothing explicit was said about
independence, these instructions were later often cited as supporting such a goal.

The Guerrilla Campaign

Meanwhile, the Filipino government had fled northward. In November 1899 the Filipinos
resorted to guerrilla warfare, with all its devastating consequences. The major operations of the
insurrection were conducted in Luzon, and, throughout them, the U.S. Army was assisted
materially by indigenous Macabebe scouts, who had previously served the Spanish regime and
then transferred that loyalty to the United States. The organized insurrection effectively ended
with the capture of Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901, by U.S. Brig. Gen. Frederick Funston. After
learning of the location of Aguinaldo’s secret headquarters from a captured courier, Funston
personally led an audacious mission into the mountains of northern Luzon. He and a handful of
his officers posed as prisoners of war, marching under the guard of a column of Macabebe scouts
who were disguised as rebels. Aguinaldo, who had been expecting reinforcements, welcomed the
lead elements of the force only to be stunned by a demand to surrender. When Funston arrived,
Aguinaldo remarked, “Is this not some joke?” before being led back to Manila.
 Philippine-American WarU.S. troops in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War
(1899–1902).Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Although Aguinaldo pledged his allegiance to the United States and called for an end to
hostilities, the guerrilla campaign continued with unabated ferocity. Brig. Gen. Jacob F. Smith,
enraged by a massacre of U.S. troops, responded with retaliatory measures of
such indiscriminate brutality that he was court-martialed and forced to retire. After the surrender
of Filipino Gen. Miguel Malvar in Samar on April 16, 1902, the American civil government
regarded the remaining guerrillas as mere bandits, though the fighting continued. About a
thousand guerrillas under Simeón Ola were not defeated until late 1903, and in Batangas
province, south of Manila, troops commanded by Macario Sakay resisted capture until as late as
1906.

Philippine-American War: insurgentsGroup of Filipino insurgents.Library of Congress,

Washington, D.C.
The last organized resistance to U.S. power took place on Samar from 1904 to 1906. There the
rebels’ tactic of burning pacified villages contributed to their own defeat. Although an
unconnected insurgency campaign by Moro bands on Mindanao continued sporadically until
1913, the United States had gained undisputed control of the Philippines, and it retained
possession of the islands until 1946.

Casualties

The human cost of the war was significant. An estimated 20,000 Filipino combatants were killed,
and more than 200,000 civilians perished as a result of combat, hunger, or disease. Of the 4,300
Americans lost, some 1,500 were killed in action, while nearly twice that number succumbed to
disease.

Activity: Make a short essay on 1.how this two persons (Antonio Luna and Gregorio Del
Pillar) become a national hero? 2. What is their participation in the Philippine-American War?

Watch the youtube video about our national heroes who died and sacrificed their life for the
Philippines. (Antonio Luna and Gregorio Del Pilar)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkWW1peB5Vk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S5L8I9Zg2k

1. Antonio Luna

2. Gregorio Del Pilar

References

Article Title Philippine-American War

URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Philippine-American-War
 Website Title Encyclopædia Britannica

Date Accessed October 04, 2020

Date Published May 30, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S5L8I9Zg2k