America’s war with Spain, which arose because of the concern of the United States about conditions

in Cuba, brought Commodore Dewey to Manila in May 1898, to destroy the Spanish fleet. The bold
undertaking met with brilliant success. At first the Filipinos aided the Americans in the effort to rid
the islands of Spain, believing that their own freedom would thus be assured. They proceeded to
organize their own “Republic of the Philippines” under the leadership of General Emilio Aguinaldo
and other patriots who had headed the revolution against Spain.
By the Treaty of Paris, signed in December 1898, Spain ceded the Philippine Islands to the United
States. Contrary to Filipino expectations, America began to make plans for the government of the
country. The Americans knew that the small group of revolutionary leaders and budding statesmen in
the Philippines had had little or no political or administrative experience. And they considered the
Filipino people, lacking education and political training, were by no means ready for a popular
government. They did not favor replacing Spanish domination with a form of Filipino autocracy.
Before self-government could have any meaning here, they thought a period of economic and
political development, of education for democracy, was necessary. And, as already suggested, mixed
up with this altruism was a large element of private self-interest, of economic and political
imperialism.