AMERICAN IMPERIALISM

Troops in Spanish-American War

American Troops Near Manila, Philippines
Filipino Revolutionists during 1899 Filipino-American War
 The unity attained in the
struggle for independence
was just a flitting one.
 Various forces which so
enthusiastically supported the
Revolution against Spanish
colonizers were drawn into
their respective directions as
dictated by their opposing
interests.
 These opposing and varying
interests of the united front of
the revolutionaries were
capitalized by the American
colonizers to further aggravate
the situation through an
effective policy of divide and
rule tactics.
 Benevolent Assimilation
(Manifested destiny)

• Also known as “White Men’s

Burden” was an American colonial
program which hid the real motives
or objectives of American
colonization.

• It disguised the real nature/color of

the Americans
 Benevolent Assimilation
(Manifested destiny)

It was a proclamation of
US Pres. McKinley which
reasoned out that the
American responsibility
over the Philipines (their
“Little Brown Brothers”)
was forced upon the US Pres William McKinley

Americans by God and

destiny.
 Benevolent Assimilation
(Manifested destiny)

• However, it merely concealed their

true objectives to remain as
colonizers of the Philippines.

• They disguised themselves as

“friends and not as conquerors”
“White Men’s Burden”
 THE
AMERICAN COLONIAL
PROGRAM
 Reasons behind
Main Colonial Policy Colonization

• In search for cheap

Benevolent source of raw
Assimilation materials (sugar)
( White Men’s Burden and cheap labor
or Manifested Destiny) • To use the Phil as
springboard for
American
Capitalists to
penetrate China
 Reasons behind
Main Colonial Policy Colonization

• In search for new

Benevolent markets ( dumping
Assimilation ground) for their
excess products
( White Men’s Burden
or Manifested Destiny) • To make Phil as
their first line of
defense by putting
up military bases
 Reasons behind
Main Colonial Policy Colonization

Benevolent • To use the

Assimilation Philippines as base
( White Men’s Burden of operation for the
or Manifested Destiny) expansion of
Protestantism
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Employed thousands of researchers

and surveys to gather data about the
worth of the Philippines that can be
exploited for American investors
 Examples of studies made:
• Blair & Robertson 10 yr study on Phil. Island- 55 vol
• John RM Taylor- Fil-US War
• Burton & Dean Worcester- Cordillera Culture
• Saleeby – Moro Provinces
• Cunningham & Le Roy- geologic structure & friar
lands in the RP for exploitation for American
capitalists
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Secured the cooptation of the Filipino

elites/ ilustrados who were willing to
be “ puppet-supporters” of American
colonial rule
 Leading Filipino Collaborators: ( Americanistas )
• Felipe Buencamino
• Pardo de Tavera
• Benito Legarda
• Cayetano Arellano
• Pedro Paterno

• BATES TREATY – Gen.John Bates negotiated with the

sultans of Sulu – Datu Attik, Datu Calbi and the Joakanians
which allowed Americans to occupy Jolo in exchange for
certain benefits
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Offered Filipinos education and the

civil service ( part of the military
strategy to educate Filipinos in the
American Way )
• Pensionado Program
• used English as a medium of instruction
• Thomasites
 Thomasite class in Mindanao

Thomasites Teachers in the

Philippines
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

•Self-governance and Autonomy

- promised to ambitious Filipino
elites under the American tutelage
• Filipinization policy of the Bicameral Body
• Schurman Commission – formation of local government
units, free public school system and civil service to
Filipinos
• Independence Missions
Filipinization of Bicameral Body
The Philippine Commission
Filipinization of Bicameral Body : The Philippine Assembly
Independence Missions: The OS-ROX Mission
Independence Mission: The Quezon Mission
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Peace Propaganda
- used Filipino elite especially
women elite to cut-off Filipino
resistance movements

• Suffrage and Election – limited only to

2 % of the total population
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction
• Taft’s policy “ Philippines for the
Filipinos”
- improvement in the standard of living of
the Filipinos, giving the benefit of
American education & created new
consumers’ demands for American
products
 Leading to the development of a
profitable market for Us capitalists
William Howard Taft
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Free Trade Policies

– suggested inequality since all trading
policies implemented were biased to
American products ( Payne-Aldrich,
Underwood – Simons, Tariff Act of 1901,
Organic Act and Bell Trade Act )
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Land and Agricultural Policies

- implemented very conservative

land reform program

- had strengthened the system of
land-ownership developed under
the Spanish rule ( Torrens System,
Homestead Program )
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Development of Transportation and

Communication
- built new roads, bridges which opened
new frontiers or the Philippine natural
resources for exploitation by American
capitalists ( rainforest for logging, mining depots,
open seas for fish trawling etc..)
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Repression

• Promotion of Anti-nationalist Laws to

dampen Filipinos’ rising sense of
nationalism via Flag Law, Sedition
Law & Brigandage Act.
• Utilized native forces to suppress
native resistance by establishing the
Philippine Constabulary
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Repression
• Utilized the original Vietnamization
tactics – American soldiers resorted to
brutal tortures not have been witnessed
before in the Philippines
Examples:
• Hamletting
• water cure,
• horse dragging
• reconcentration
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Repression
• Media Suppression
- the press, literary and other cultural
expression of the Filipinos were not spared
from American suppression

• Established US Military Bases to

protect American business interests
in the Philippines
POSITIVE EFFECTS
OF
AMERICAN
COLONIZATION
• Progress in education
> directly opposed the Spanish
system of education

> women were given greater

educational opportunities
• Progress in education
> Filipinos developed their
literature in English and
adopted American phrases
and integrated into Philippine
language
…. However, the education
system introduced by the
Americans developed the value
of colonial mentality among
Filipinos, instead of the love for
one’s own culture
• Promoted Public Welfare
and Development
> scientific
programs were
introduced for public health and
welfare

> Filipinos were taught to practice

personal hygiene and observe
health and sanitation
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
OF
AMERICAN
COLONIZATION
Inculcation of colonial
mentality
 Filipinos became too
much dependent on the
Americans
Economic dependency
> Economic restraints
ensued due to US goods
became necessity