A Brief History
On February 4, 1899, a war broke out between the First Philippine Republic and the US, called the Tagalog Insurgency, the Filipino-American War, and other names, that lasted until July of 1902, and continued as the Moro Rebellion until 1913. Despite the length of the conflict and the significant casualties suffered by the US, the war remains largely forgotten by many Americans.
Digging Deeper
A Spanish colonial possession, the Philippines revolted against Spain in 1896, and then in 1898 the Spanish-American War was fought, including the famous naval battle at Manila Bay. Part of the settlement of that conflict was the “liberation” of the Philippines from Spain, but now under the hegemony of the US. Filipinos still yearned for independence. The war with the US cost 4,200 American lives, almost double what the entire Spanish-American War cost the US.
Relations between the US and the Philippines eventually improved, and the Philippines became independent in 1946.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Linn, Brian. The Philippine War, 1899-1902. University Press of Kansas, 2000.
Silbey, David. A War of Frontier and Empire: The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902. Hill and Wang, 2008.
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