Philippine independence refers to the struggles of the Filipinos for independence from colonial rule —first by Spain, and then by the United States.

The Philippine-American War, formely called the Philippine Insurrection in the U.S., with its devastating use of military force, was a brutal example of American might used against a defenseless population. The Japanese then occupied the Philippines during WWII, after which the U.S. again overtook the islands.

Spanish colonialism

American invasion

The Spanish-American War ended in December 1898, ending the Spanish hold on Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, permanently putting an end the last divestments of the Spanish Empire. Spain sold the Philippines to the United States at the Treaty of Paris for 20 million USD. The United States had cheaply acquired a colony the size of Arizona, although the Philippine inhabitants, like Cuba's just before, had notions of independence.

An estimated 200,000 to 1,000,000 Filipino civilians were killed, with 16,000 Filipino killed in action. By contrast, only 4,200 American soldiers were killed.

"The Philippines are ours forever. We will not repudiate our duty in the archipelago. We will not abandon our duty in the Orient. We will not renounce our part in the mission of our race, trustee under God, of the civilization of the world." —Alfred Beveridge, US Senator, Indiana

Japanese occupation

External links

• PBS Frontline (http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/philippines/tl01.html)