AMERICAN COLONIALISM

IN THE PHILIPPINES
CHAPTER 8

ATEJADA, LEO ANTON F.

LLAMERA, ANDRE
LUMBERA, KURT RUSSEL
TOLEDO, RYAN
 OBJECTIVE:
• Identify and explain the causes of American Expansionism
• Describe the various instrumentation of pacification employed by Americans in the Philippines
• Explain the nature of the relationship between Filipino and American leader ship
• Distinguish the different forms of Filipino resistance to American Colonialism
The 19TH Century saw the American imperialism or territorial
expansion. Commodore Matthew Perry received order form the
US President to proposed the Open Door Policy to preserve the
“Territorial and administrative entity” of China against the
encroachment of Japan and Europe

American expansionism and annexation of the Philippines was

motivated by a number of factors- economic, political , military,
and religious and the belief of Manifest Destiny.
MANIFEST DESTINY
1. The Americans believed that it is their duty to bring the benefits of civilization to Un-
educated and ignorant people through conversion or conquest and believed they
have the burden as white men to care for their brown brother, and the blessings to
spread their superior civilization to the world.

This Policy was Anchored in Charles Darwin’s Theory of Survival of the fittest” to
support the racial superiority if Americans
 1. American industries and agriculture flourished
because of raw materials coming form other
interior countries. As pointed out by economist
Charles Conant. Americans economy would
crumble without foreign markets and sources of
raw material
2. Sen. Albert Beveridge put it “ Trade of the world
must and shall be ours. The Philippines is logically
our first target.”
ECONOMIC 3. The Philippines could become a springboard for
American commercial expansion and supremacy
FACTORS in Asia, thus the US also needed a base from
where it could expand its economic interests
POLITICS
U.S. imperialism will make the
Americans “the mightiest republic on which
the sun ever shone” imbedded with a
feeling of national pride to spread their
civilization, Americans desired colonies for
power and glory and the Philippines would
be the first apple of American Colonialism
in Asia.
RELIGIOUS
1. The American Catholic Church favoured the
annexation of the Philippines because American
priests would the Spanish friars.

2. Protestant groups saw the Philippines as fertile

ground for spreading their religion, and to
perform “Humanitarian and evangelistic work”

3. The Philippines could also be a jumping board

for missionary activities in Asia

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MILITARY
1. The Philippines would be a base for American
operations in the Pacific to protect their
economic and political Interests

2. The Philippines has a strategic location as a base

for Military and Naval Operations
Opposition to American Expansionism
There were groups of Americans Politicians and religious groups wo were against the
annexation of the Philippines for some reasons:
Filipinos were not suited to become American citizens, the Filipinos will be potential
victims of racial discrimination as pointed out by the black abut-imperialists, and some
industrialists and businessmen also opposed especially those in the agricultural sector
who believed that Philippine products would compete with their own, and an American
commentator raised the question of the impact of Imperialism on American values
PUBLICATION MEASURES
The Americans wanted to transplant its values and
bureaucracy in the Philippines because the Filipinos
needed American stewardship. There were two
publication measure to end the Filipino Resistance:

1.The First Philippine Commission recommended the

establishment of a civil government headed by Jacob
Schurman.
2. The Second Philippine Commission, headed by
William Howard taft embodied policies that would guide
American Rule in the colony
PUBLICATION MEASURES CONTINUE:
5. The U.S. government deported uncompromising
1. The Sedition Law – The Law punished by long
imprisonment and a fine to any person who nationalists the “ irreconcilables” like Apolinario
would “ utter seditious words, or speechless, Mabini and Artermio Ricarte
write, publish, or circulate scurrilous libels.
2. The Bridgandage Act (1902) – or Ley De 6. Political parties which advocated for the
Bandelerismo – classified guerilla fighters as annexation of the Philippines was given special
brigand, or as ladrones, and membership in an flavors.
armed group punishable by death or long gf
gf
imprisonment not less than 20 years
7. Public education with system with English as the
3. The Re-concentration Act (1903) – Forced
residents or towns infested with bandits and
medium of instruction was the best way of
brigands to live in designated military zones to pacification
prevent people from gibing and support to
rebels 8. The Burning of towns where guerillas operated
4. The Flag Law (1907) – prohibited the display of and prisoners were executed
all flags, banners, symbols, and other
paraphernalia to suppress nationalistic feelings
but later abolished in 1919.
HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FILIPINO AND AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP
The working relationship between the Filipino
and American leaders was characterized by the
following measures or social processes:

1. Collaboration and Compomise

a. The elite or illustrados show willingness to

compromise with colonialist.

b. The illustrados helped in reorgarnizing the local

government by organizing the Association de Paz
which later become the Federal Party.

c. The Negros elite organized themselves intro a

provisional government and wanted the province to
be a protectorate of the U.S.
HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FILIPINO AND AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP
2. Accommodation

a. The first American Governors, William Howard

Taft, adopted a “ Policy if attraction” known as
“Philippines for the Filipinos”.

b. Taft granted “Federalistas” a monopoly on official

jobs reserved for Filipinos.

c. The Philippine Bill of 1902 (Copper Act)

encouraged the illustrados to participate in political
affairs and was one of the winning ways of winning
over members of the elite to the American aside
HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FILIPINO AND AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP
2. Accommodation

d. The Americans also Implemented Fililipinization:

1. The creation of the Supreme Court in 1899

assigning Filipinos most in the tower courts
2. Filipino controlled the Provincial and Municipal
government.
3. Filipinization of the Philippine Commission Gov.
Francis B. Harrison the rapid Filipinazation by
giving civil service positions to the majority of
majority the Filipinos
4. The Jones Law (1916) created a bicarmeral and
all-Filipino legislature
5. The Municipal Code enacted in 1901 by the
Second Philippine Commission granted suffrage
but only to male
HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FILIPINO AND AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP
e. The Americans were also successful in co-opting
with ruling elite in the cultural communities, by
providing social services and education to the
natives by the American teacher and missionaries

f. The Bates Treaty allowed American presence in

Sulu

g. The Carpenter- Kiram Agreement in 1915

“stressed the total sovereightly of the U.S. over all
the territory of the Sultanate in all aspects except
religion.
THE RESISTANCE AGAINTS AMERICAN RULE
1. Resistance of former Officials of the Revolutionary Army

General Luciano San Miguel. Revived

the Katipunan and led the resistance
but the Philippine Constabulary and
American officials used “cordon” tactic
to capture new katipuneros, but failed
because the Filipinos employed the
“amigo” act, by hiding their weapons
and sought refuge in the homes of
sympathizers.
 MACARIO SAKAY ARTEMIO RECARTE
Organize the Tagalog Republic with Sakay as president He was reported by the American three times
when he led a movements to revive the Katipuna
RESISTANCE OF THE MUSLIM AND
OTHER CULTURAL GROUPS
To pacify the worsening condition in the South
especially in Jolo. The Bates Treaty was accomplished
which provided that the rights of the sultan and his Datus
would be respected and they would be given monthly
salaries. It further provided that nobody would be
presecuted for his religious beliefs. Resistance also
prevailed in many areas in Mindanao. Even the
lumad(native occupying the mountainous area) also rose
against the American government