The history of America and Philippines

Wars of a peculiar nature, such as the American Civil War, World War 1, and World War 2, have ruled American history. Every American has heard about the strange conflict in which the country has fought. Other battles, aside from other well-known wars that occurred around the globe, are only well-known to historians in particular. The Filipino-American bloodshed, also known as the Philippine-American war, was a conflict between the United States and the Philippine nation that lasted from 1899 to 1902. The conflict between the Philippines and the United States took longer than anticipated because it was bloody, costly, divisive, and historical. The battle marked the first ever foreign war that the United States participated (Silbey 2008). There are numerous suggestion by the historians that the Philippine American war opened the way for the United States superpower status and the build-up of its army. The paper discusses in details the Philippine American war of 1899-1902. In the year 1898, America defeated Spain in Manila Bay setting free the Philippine islands from a tyranny authority. The freedom that was desired by the Filipino people did not happen has their found themselves exchanging one colonial power for another. The affair gained the U.S support in the Pacific but associated with significant expense on both sides of the countries (Silbey 2008).

The Philippines and American War 1899-1902 conflict is linked to the first Philippine republic objection to the terms of the agreement of Paris. The Americans took possession of the Philippine nation from the Spain control bring an end to the Spanish-American war. The causes of the Philippine–American war can also be traced back to US authority quest for an oversee colony as well as the desire of the Filipino people for freedom; the war was a clash between the imperialist forces and nationalism. After many years of the Spain control of the Phillips, Emilio Aguinaldo staged a revolution in the year 1896 towards the Spanish authority. After a two and half year guerrilla war the Filipinos suddenly found themselves in an advantageous position as a coalition of the United States. Spain fought a losing battle in the year 1898, in which all her colonies Rico, Guam, Puerto, and Cuba were taken over with the help of the Americans army with her Atlantic fleet. After the surrender of the Spanish colonial regime to U.S and Philippines military command in the year 1898, there was the rise of tension between the United States and the Filipino forces near Manila (May 2014). The American authority came to the resolution of keeping the Philippines as their colony denying their independence. The Filipino army with their leader realized that their allies had become foes (The History Guy 2017).

In early 1899, the capital of Manila was held by the US forces while the Philippine-occupied the trench line surrounding the city. The year 1899, Private William Grayson of the Nebraska volunteers open fire against a group of Filipinos nearing his location provoking an armed response from the other side. There was widespread of the shooting resulting in hundreds of casualties. As the hostilities spread out the American troops supported by the Admiral Dewys fleet reacted quickly to overwhelm the Filipino geographical area while causing pain and suffering to thousands of victims. With no time the American forces spread all the way to other parts of the Filipino state with the application of superior weapons. In the year 1899, the Aguinaldo and his troops had been pushed into the Philippine island. The Pilipino leader realized that he could not be able to fight the Americans with the conventional military units. The Filipino resorted to the guerrilla warfare to be able to combat the US army. The war turned into a no hold barred guerrilla with massacres, ambushes, and retribution, widespread of slaughter and wanton violence. The war witnessed the massive destruction of villages, civilians, mutilation and torture of the prisoners in the combine of other atrocities. The fighting flamed with the increasing bitterness between the two countries. A significant number of the American troops was murdered by the guerrilla tactics of the Filipino forces. The Philippine leaders Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the American soldiers in 1902. Despite the official end of the Philippines and US (American) War 1899-1902, different tribes in the Muslim morons and Luzon continued with the war for the further decade. The war led to many casualties on both side, it is estimated about 4,196 American troops died from the war, 1020 from the actual combat, and the remaining from different diseases. On the bottom of the Filipino, it lost about 20000 soldiers as well as 20000 civilians as a result of the war (The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902 2017).

The Philippines and American War 1899-1902, led to some consequences. The first effect of the war was the loss of independence for the Philippines which came at a later date in 1946. Another impact of the war was that the American acquired an oversee colony which used as a base for the states military and business interest in the more extensive Pacific region. Lastly the United States after the completion of the hostilities between the two countries it did it best to Americanize the Philippines people, through different ways such as the successful civilian administration with the modernization of the nation ready for the independence. In additions, the war was one of the brutal on both sides. The two team employed different mechanism during the war such as destruction of property, private reconcentration policies, torture mainly by the United States on suspected fatality of the guerrillas, and the terrorization of the innocent citizen who supported the Americans. Many people lose their life with the widespread outbreak of different diseases such a malaria epidemics, food shortage as a result of agriculture catastrophes (Philippine-American War 2017).

In summary, the Philippines and U.S War 1899-1902 was the first battle that American fought outside the western block. The struggle caused by US desire to have a colony in an oversee countries. Both the sides suffered significant losses as it ranged from the loss of life and destruction of property. The Philippine nation independence prolonged as a result of the war.

Reference

Silbey, David J. 2008. A war of frontier and empire : the Philippine-American War, 1899-1902. New York: Henry Holt.

“The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902,” 23 Nov 2017, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war.

“Philippine-American War, accessed Nov 23, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/event/Philippine-American-War.

”The History Guy, accessed Nov 23, 2017. https://www.historyguy.com/PhilipineAmericanwar.html#.WhZlXFOEbIW

May, Glenn A. 2014. ”Pacific Historical Review.” Why the United States Won the Philippine-American War, 1899-1902 353-377.