"Friend or Invader?": The Philippine-American War
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- Jan 26
- 4 min read
Target: I can explain the causes of the Philippine-American War by comparing President McKinley's "Benevolent Assimilation" policy to Emilio Aguinaldo's declaration of independence.
Key Vocabulary
The Philippine-American War (1899–1902): A bloody conflict between U.S. soldiers and Filipino revolutionaries. The U.S. won and made the Philippines a colony.
Emilio Aguinaldo: The leader of the Filipino struggle for independence. He fought against Spain and then against the United States.
Benevolent Assimilation: President McKinley's policy that the U.S. was taking over the Philippines "for their own good" to civilize and protect them, not to conquer them.
Guerilla Warfare: A style of fighting used by Filipino soldiers (ambushes, surprise attacks) because they had fewer weapons than the U.S. Army.
Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)
Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.
Prompt: Imagine a stranger moves into your house and says, "I am taking over your house to protect you. I will teach you how to live better, but you must obey my rules." Would you believe they are trying to help you? Would you fight back? Why or why not? |
Sentence Starter: I would/would not believe them because... If someone tried to take over my house "for my own good," I would...
Part 2: Analyzing the Sources
Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.
Source 1: President William McKinley, "Benevolent Assimilation" Proclamation (1898)
Context: After defeating Spain, President McKinley issued this order to the U.S. Military. He explains why the U.S. is keeping the Philippines.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
"Finally, it should be the earnest wish and paramount aim of the military administration to win the confidence, respect, and affection of the inhabitants of the Philippines by assuring them in every possible way that full measure of individual rights and liberties which is the heritage of free peoples, and by proving to them that the mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation substituting the mild sway of justice and right for arbitrary rule." | "Finally, the main goal of our military should be to win the trust, respect, and love of the Filipino people. We must promise them the rights and freedom that all free people deserve. We must prove to them that the mission of the United States is 'Benevolent Assimilation' (absorbing them into our culture kindly). We are replacing their bad rulers with our justice and fairness." |
Source 2: Emilio Aguinaldo, "Letter to the American People" (1899)
Context: Emilio Aguinaldo had already declared the Philippines independent. When he read McKinley's proclamation, he was furious. He wrote this letter explaining why he had to fight the Americans.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
"And, did America recognize this fact, she would cease to be the laughing stock of other civilized nations, as she became when she abandoned her traditions and set up a double standard of government—government by consent in America, government by force in the Philippine Islands... You have been deceived all along the line. You have been greatly deceived in the personality of my countrymen. You went to the Philippines under the impression that their inhabitants were ignorant savages... We are simply Filipinos." | "If America realized the truth, she would stop being a joke to other nations. America has become a joke because she abandoned her own traditions. She now has a double standard: In America, government is by 'consent' (voting), but in the Philippines, government is by force. You have been lied to. You think we are ignorant savages, but we are not. We are simply Filipinos fighting for our freedom." |
Analysis Questions
Directions: Answer the writing questions and the two Multiple Choice questions.
1. In Source 1, President McKinley uses the phrase "Benevolent Assimilation." What does he claim is the true "mission" of the United States in the Philippines?
Sentence Starter: According to McKinley, the mission of the U.S. is not to conquer, but to... He believes the U.S. will bring "justice" and...
2. In Source 2, Emilio Aguinaldo accuses America of having a "double standard." What is the difference between how Americans are governed and how Filipinos are being governed?
Sentence Starter: The double standard is that in America, people govern by... but in the Philippines, the U.S. is governing by...
Regents-Style Multiple Choice
3. The arguments made by President McKinley in Source 1 are most similar to which other justification for imperialism?
(1) The containment of communism
(2) The "White Man's Burden"
(3) The Monroe Doctrine
(4) The Good Neighbor Policy
4. Based on Source 2, Emilio Aguinaldo opposed the annexation of the Philippines because:
(1) He wanted the Philippines to remain a colony of Spain
(2) He believed the U.S. was violating its own democratic values of self-government
(3) He feared that the U.S. would not protect the Philippines from Japan
(4) He wanted to become an American citizen
Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).
Prompt: Using evidence from both sources, explain the conflict between the United States and the Philippines. How did McKinley (Source 1) and Aguinaldo (Source 2) view the U.S. occupation differently? |
Sentence Starter: The conflict started because the United States and the Philippines had different views on freedom. McKinley (Source 1) believed the U.S. was there for "Benevolent Assimilation," meaning... However, Aguinaldo (Source 2) argued that the U.S. was actually... He called this a "double standard" because...
