Why did the US get involved with the Philippines?

Why did the US get involved with the Philippines?

The conflict arose when the First Philippine Republic objected to the terms of the Treaty of Paris under which the United States took possession of the Philippines from Spain, ending the Spanish–American War. On June 2, 1899, the First Philippine Republic officially declared war against the United States.

What was President McKinley’s justifications for keeping the Philippines?

McKinley believed that Filipinos were ignorant and childlike, and that they were unfit for self-government. He framed US policy in Philippines as a humanitarian mission, designed to bring the alleged benefits of Western civilization to the Filipino people.

Did McKinley originally want the Philippines?

In an interview President William McKinley (1843-1901) told how he came to accept the acquisition of the Philippines. Hold a moment longer! The truth is I didn’t want the Philippines, and when they came to us, as a gift from the gods; I did not know what to do with them.

Why did President McKinley want to keep the Philippines?

Therefore, motivated by a sense of “the white man’s burden,” he felt that Americans had the responsibility to educate and Christianize the Filipinos—a community which he considered to be less civilized. To understand why President McKinley kept the Philippines, it is useful to look at the text of a speech that he made around that time.

Why did the US want to annex the Philippines?

At the end of the Spanish-American war, pressure on President William McKinley to annex the Philippines was intense. After originally declaring that it would “be criminal aggression” for the United States to annex the archipelago, he reversed himself, partly out of fear that another power would seize the Philippines.

Why did the US take over the Philippines?

Unaware that the Philippines were the only predominantly Catholic nation in Asia, President McKinley said that American occupation was necessary to “uplift and Christianize” the Filipinos. Document: When next I realized that the Philippines had dropped into our laps, I confess I did not know what to do with them.

Why did Dewey reverse himself on the Philippines?

After originally declaring that it would “be criminal aggression” for the United States to annex the archipelago, he reversed himself, partly out of fear that another power would seize the Philippines. Six weeks after Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay, a German fleet sought to set up a naval base there.