DON JOSE ECLEO MEMORIAL COLLEGE

Justiniana Edera, San Jose, Dinagat Islands

CHAPTER VIII
AMERICAN INTERVENTION AND FILIPINO INDEPENDENCE

THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR OF 1898

 February 1895 in Cuba, a Spanish colony in West Indies, revolted against its colonial master sometime.
 Governor-General Valeriano Weyler the commander of Spanish forces in Cuba established concentration camps for
the rebels and their sympathizers.
 President William McKinley sent the US Battleship Maine to Cuba for the purpose of evacuating American citizens in
case the revolution worsens.
 A letter from Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister to the United States, which had been stolen from a post
office in Havana was published in the New York Journal on February 9, 1898.
 This letter pictured and described President McKinley as a “would-be politician” and weak president.

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THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR OF 1898

 Allegedly by the Spaniards on February 15, 1898 which resulted in the loss of about 260 crewman.
 According to Randolf Hearst the Father of Yellow Journalism, this incident aroused public indignation in the U.S..
 President McKinley recommended direct American intervention in Cuba to the US Congress on April 11, 1898.
 US Congress accepted McKinley’s recommendation and voted for war with Spain.
 To save face, she declared war against US on April 24, 1898, Spanish-American War began.

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BATTLE OF MANILA BAY

 April 25, 1898, Commodore George Dewey, upon orders of President McKinley, proceed immediately to the
Philippines.
 May 1, 1898 they entered Manila Bay in the early morning and engaged the Spanish fleet of 12 ships, headed by
Admiral Patricio Montojo.
 The Battle of Manila Bay was one of the most significant battles in the history of the American people as it
established the United States as a world power.
 Dewey’s victory signaled the end of more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule in the country.
 Marked the beginning of American colonial rule in the Philippines.

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Justiniana Edera, San Jose, Dinagat Islands

ATTEMPS AT GAINING FILIPINO SUPPORT

 After defeating the Spanish fleet, Dewey blockaded Manila while awaiting reinforcements from the US.
 Governor-general of the country was already Basilio Agustin, the successor of Primo de Rivera.
 He was very much demoralized by the defection of the Filipinos from the Spanish army to Aguinaldo’s side and
Dewey’s victory over the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay.
 To convince the Filipinos to cooperate with the Spaniards, Agustin issued two decrees creating a Filipino Volunteer
Militia to both bodies.
 The Consultative Assembly, which was headed by Pedro Paterno, the negotiator of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato and who
appealed to the Filipinos to support Spain, accomplished nothing.

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Justiniana Edera, San Jose, Dinagat Islands

FILIPINO-AMERICAN COLLABORATION

 Filipino exiles in Hong Kong closely monitoring the developments in the Philippines and the conflict between Spain
and the United States.
 Considered seeking American assistance in their armed struggled against the Spaniards.
 A problem cropped up regarding disposal of the P4000,0000 from the Governor-General Primo de Rivera under the
terms of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato.
 Isabelo Artacho wanted the money to be apportioned among them.
 Aguinaldo rejected the said proposal, Artacho, sued court, Aguinaldo in the Hong Kong Supreme Court.
 April 23, 1898 arrived secretly went to Singapore, to escape the inconvenience of having to go court, Aguinaldo, with
Gregorio del Pilar and J. Leyba.
 The Americans were considering the Filipinos as an ally should hostilities between the U.S. and Spain take a turn for
the worst.
 Pratt gave Aguinaldo the impression that the Americans would not colonize the Philippines.

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FILIPINO-AMERICAN COLLABORATION

 Aguinaldo, consented to return with Commodore Dewey to the Philippines to once more lead the revolution against
Spanish, fighting alongside the Americans.
 Dewey had already sailed for Manila when Aguinaldo returned to Hong Kong.
 Rounseville Wildman, American consul in Hong Kong, told Aguinaldo that Dewey had left instruction for his return to
the Philippines.
 He later, suggested that Aguinaldo established a dictatorial government, which was needed in the prosecution of the
war against Spain.
 Wildman and Pratt assured Aguinaldo that the American government sympathized with the Filipino’s aspirations for
independence, but they did not make any formal commitment.
 In view of the new developments, the Hong Kong Junta met on May 4, to deliberate on what course of action to
take.

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FILIPINO-AMERICAN COLLABORATION
 Present in this meeting were:
• Temporary President: Felipe Agoncillo
• Temporary Secretary: Doroteo Lopez
• Teodore Sandico Severo Buenaventura
• Anastacio Francisco Maximo Kabigting
• Mariano Llanera Faustino Lichauco
• Miguel Malvara Antonio Montenegro
• Adres Garchitorena Galicano Apacible
 After the deliberation, the Junta unanimiously decided that Aguinaldo should return to the Philippines, to lead the
struggle against the Spaniards.
 In preparation for his return to the Philippines, Aguinaldo gave Wildman P117,000 to be used in purchasing guns
and ammunitions.
 The first shipment for P50,000 arrived promptly.

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AGUINALDO’S RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES

 Consul Wildman arranged Aguinaldo’s return on the revenue cutter McCulloch.
 May 17, 1898 the ship left and arrived in Cavite two days later.
 Aguinaldo was taken abroad Olympia, where he was accorded honors due to a general.
 With Aguinaldo’s return to the Philippines, Constantino identified “four major forces on the historical stages”:
 May 21, 1898 two days after he arrived, Aguinaldo’s in a letter advised the people to “respect foreigners and their
properties, also enemies who surrender… if we do not conduct ourselves thus the Americans will decide to sell us or
else divide up our territory as they will hold us incapable of governing our land, we shall not secure our liberty; rather
the contrary ; our own soil will be delivered over to other hands.”
 By the end of May, with the growing number of revolutionary supporters, 5,000 Spaniards had been captured.
 Within a week, Imus and Bacolod, in Cavite, and Paranaque and Las Pinas in Morong, were seized from Spanish
control, so with San Fernando and Macabebe in Pampanga.
 Were the provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Tayabas (Quezon) and Camarines, joining
the fight for freedom.

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AGUINALDO’S RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES

 The renewed revolution after Aguinaldo’s arrival from Hong Kong immediately became a success.
 June 2, 1898 General Artemio Ricarte accepted the surrender of the Spanish commanding General in Cavite.
 Within the month of June 1898, almost the whole of Luzon, except for the port of Cavite and Manila, had fallen into
hands of Filipino rebels.

THE FILIPINO SIEGE OF MANILA

 Aguinaldo was treated with the courtesies befitting a head of state.
 Their motive was to use Filipinos to fight the Spaniards until reinforcements arrived.
 When the Spanish navy was destroyed, many Spaniards had taken refuge at Intramuros or the Walled City.
 Aguinaldo seized the opportunity to besiege the city and cut off its food and water supply to force Spaniards out.
 Aguinaldo offered the option of surrender three time, with generous terms, to Governor-General Agustin but these
were rejected as he was waiting reinforcements from Spain which never came.

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THE AGUINALDO DICTATORSHIP

 When Aguinaldo arrived from Hong Kong, he brought with him a draft of a constitutional plan drawn up by Mariano
Ponce.
 His adviser Ambrosio Reinzare Bautista convinced him to set aside plan of establishing a federal republic and
suggested a dictatorial government to prosecute the war against Spain.
 May 24, 1898 Aguinaldo issued a decree formality establishing such form a government, albeit temporary in nature.
 Aguinaldo deemed it necessary to declare the independence of the Philippines.
 Aguinaldo unofficial adviser at this time was Apolinario Mabini, who objected to this plan.
 Mabini stressed the need to reorganize the government first into one that could prove to foreign powers its
independence and stability before declaring independence.
 Aguinaldo prevailed over Mabini .

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PROCLAMATION OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE

 June 12, 1898 Philippine Independence was proclaimed in the presence of huge crowd at the ancestral home of
General Emilio Aguinaldo between four and five in the afternoon in Cavite El Viejo, now known as Kawit.
 This event was highlighted by the following: unfurling of the Philippine national flag sewed in Hong Kong by Marcela
Agoncillo, Lorenzana Agoncillo, and Delfina Herbosa; playing of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo, by the San Francisco de
Malabon marching band, as the countries national anthem which was written by Ambroso Bautista.
 The proclamation of June 12 was later modified by another proclamation done at Malolos, Bulacan, upon the
insistence of Apolinario Mabini.
 Mabini objected to the original proclamation as it basically placed Philippines under the protection of the United
States.

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From Dictatorial to Revolutionary Government

 Aguinaldo forms a cabinet on July 15, with his brother Baldomero as Secretary of War and Public Works.
 The cabinet is composed of ilustrados, most of whom were previously on the Spanish side.
 Cayetano Arellano declines the post of Secretary of Foreign Affairs due to being pro-American.
 Mabini accepts the position of Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
 Aguinaldo is proclaimed Chief General on July 23.
 Filipino soldiers (14,000) are deployed between the Spanish and American forces outside Manila's walls.
 American forces arrive in Manila:
• + General Thomas Anderson brings 2,500 troops on June 30
• + General Francis V. Greene brings 3,500 troops on July 17
• + General Arthur Mac-Arthur brings 4,800 troops on July 31
• + General Wesley E. Merritt commands 10,965 men and 740 officers

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Surrender Negotiations and the Mock Battle of Manila

 In June and July 1898, the Aguinaldo forces were negotiating with the Spanish for the surrender of Manila.
 General Aguinaldo refused to surrender without orders from Madrid.
 On July 17, 1898, after fresh American troops arrived, General Dewey started negotiating with the Spanish for the
surrender of Manila.
 General Merritt, the overall American commander, decided to conduct an "offensive" against Manila from the side of
Manila Bay.

End of Filipino-American Collaborations and Spanish Rule

 The surrender of Manila signaled the end of the Filipino-American collaboration.
 Filipino soldiers felt insulted by the American entry into Manila despite their assistance.
 The Filipinos then started feeling hostile to the Americans.
 The Spanish government, meanwhile, transferred the headquarters of the Spanish government to Zamboanga.
 By November 1899, all Spanish forces in the Philippines had surrendered.

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The Treaty of Paris of 1898

 Peace Treaty: The peace treaty was drafted in Paris, France, on October 1, 1898, by peace commissioners from both
Spain and the US.
 American Peace Commission: The American peace commission was led by William R. Day and included Cushman K.
Avis, William P. Frye, Sen. George Gray, and the Honorable Whitelaw Reid.
 Spanish Peace Commission: The Spanish peace commission was headed by Don Eugenio Montes Rios, the President
of the Senate.
 Negotiations: The negotiations were tense and hostile, partly due to the fact that the American commissioners were
not sympathetic to the Spanish side.
 Final Agreement: The treaty was finally concluded in Paris on December 10, 1898.

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