Imperialism in the Philippines
“WE KNEW THEY SUPPOSED THAT WE ALSO
WERE FIGHTING IN THEIR WORTHY
CAUSE…AND WE ALLOWED THEM TO GO ON
THINKING SO. UNTIL MANILA WAS OURS
AND WE COULD GET ALONG WITH OUT
THEM. THEN WE SHOWED OUR HAND.
The War With Spain
 The impetus for the war was the Cuban anti-colonialist
revolution.
(Jose Marti—Poet, Revolutionary--1853-1995)
The Spanish response to the revolution was brutal, and involved
concentration camps and mass starvation.
Cuba was of importance to the US and was also dependent on
the US economically—Exports increased from 42% of the total
in 1859 to 87% in 1897.
US investments were about $50 million and trade at $100
million.
Cuban Revolution
 Cuban revolutionaries like Marti looked to the US for help and
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inspiration. Some were already US citizens.
Marti, Gomez, Maceo were worried about US dominance.
Marti: “To change masters is not to be free…”
Heart and Pulitzer (‘Yellow Press’) papers championed the
cause of ‘Cuba libre.’ [But according to Herring, the yellow
press didn’t cause the war.]
President McKinley was not eager to go to war and Spain
would allow some self-government but the rebels insisted on
government free of Spanish influence.
Losing Cuba would be losing the last bits of the Spanish
Empire.
When the Maine exploded by accident in 1898, and Spain was
blamed, McKinley ended up going to war.
McKinley
 McKinley became imperialist by happenstance,
according to Herring.
 The Teller Amendment was that the US would not
annex Cuba once the war ended. [Various factions—
people worried about the blacks and Catholics in
Cuba, those who were worried about competition in
sugar, etc.]
“You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the
war.”
 Journalist Richard Harding Davis, “God looks after
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drunkards, babies and Americans…”
The US defeats the Spanish in Cuba rather easily.
(Only 345 KIA, 5,000 from sickness and $250
million.)
The Navy goes to the Philippines. The victory
‘intoxicated Americans” (Herring, 316)
“It was a splendid little war…” Ambassador Hay
US Ambassador to France “No war in history has
accomplished so much in so short a time with so
little loss…” Hawaii annexed for reasons of manifest
destiny.
Growth of the US Empire
 US wanted to make sure to get Puerto Rico before
Spain gave up and sued for peace.
 It was thought to be a way to increase security in the
region. Teddy Roosevelt told Senator Lodge to
“prevent any talk of peace until we get Porto Rico
and the Philippines as well as secure the
independence of Cuba.”
 Dewey defeated the Spanish in Manila Bay and took
the rebel leader Aguinaldo to exile in Hong Kong.
Resistance to Colonial Independence
 The Cuban rebels were idealized but then later regarded
as a “ragged and half-starved” and “wretched mongrel
lot.”
Racism played a role in the negative stereotypes of the
Cubans. Many Cubans in the rebel forces had African
ancestors.
General Shafter claimed the Cubans were no more fit for
self-government than ‘gunpowder is for hell…’ (321) The
Teller Amendment was ignored and the Cubans did not
participate in the peace or surrender negotiations with the
Spanish and they had to recognize the military authority of
the US.
Philippines
 The Filipinos were also expecting self-government.
Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent and
himself as ‘provisional dictator.’
 McKinley believed that the rebels could not sustain a
government or prevent European encroachment and
told the US military to compel the rebels to accept its
authority.
 30,000 Filipinos were present in Manila and not
inclined to accept US authority.
Results
 Americans expected the Cubans to be grateful, but the
Cubans were not grateful and revolted again in the 1950s.
 McKinley talked about “benevolent assimilation” and
said “our priceless principles undergo no change under a
tropical sun. They go with the flag.” (p. 326) --What are
these principles?
 The Filipinos began to see the US as the oppressor. The
military began a pacification program—schools, roads,
bridges, vaccinations, medicine, food.
 Taft went to help out America’s “little brown bothers.”
Insurgency
 The Filipinos fought a war of insurgency. The US
response was very brutal at times.
 Americans began “to view the war in racial terms, a
conflict of ‘civilization’ in Roosevelt’s words against
the black chaos of savagery and barbarism.” This
included resettlement and torture.
 [Are there any parallels in today’s war.]
 Only July 4, 1902 Teddy Roosevelt declared the war
ended with 4,000 dead and 2,800 wounded at a
casualty rate of 5.5%. 20,000 Filipinos were killed
and possibly as many as 200,000 civilians killed.
Internal debate in the US
 There was an internal debate in the US over whether the US should
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be an empire.
It is often said that Americans do not want an empire. Is this true?
(You certainly don’t hear American politicians openly embracing
imperial goals.)
Some issues raised in the debate were: The strategic advantage of
the Philippines, and the economic benefits. The islands were
markets and they were also a jumping off point to other parts of
Asia, especially China.
They argued that the US had superior institutions and “an
obligation to rescue lesser peoples from barbarism and ignorance
and bring them the blessings of Anglo-Saxon civilization…”
McKinley allegedly said that the US should “educate the Filipinos
and uplift them and civilize them and Christianize them and by
God’s grace do the very best we could be them.”
Other arguments for imperialism
 Another argument was that the Filipinos/Cubans
were not capable of self government and ripe for the
plucking by Europe.
 McKinley “the currents of destiny flow thoruhg the
hearts of the people…who will divert them? Who will
stop them?”
Arguments against Imperialism
 Patriotic arguments were that the “expansion would
compromise America’s ideals and its special mission in
the world…”
 The US would then be like Europe…
 Williams James said it was amazing how the US could
“puke up its ancient soul…in five minutes without a wink
of squeamishness…” He said the idea the US was
uplifting the Filipinos was “snivelling” and
“loathesome…” “God damn the US for its vile conduct in
the Philippines…”
 Andrew Carnegie tried to buy the islands for $20 million.
Racist Anti-Imperialism
Ben Tilman (S. Carolina): “…opposed injecting into
the ‘body politic of the United States that vitiated
blood, that debased and ignorant people…” p. 323
The White Man’s Burden
Rudyard Kipling: Take up the White man's burden -Send forth the best ye breed -Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild -Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.
McClure’s 1899—seemed to urge war in the
Philippines.
To The Person Sitting in Darkness
 Who is “the person sitting in darkness”?
 How does Twain use irony?
Attitudes
 What attitudes does Twain describe…
 Reverend Ament discusses the compensation he
received at the killing of the missionaries.
 What is the point of the Pawnee example? (p. 110)
What is ‘civilization’?
 “…shall we go on conferring our Civilization upon the
peoples that sit in darkenss or shall we give those poor
things a rest…Would it not be prudent to get our
Civilization tools together and see how much stock is
left?” (p. 112)
 “the Blessings-of-Civilization Trust…[t]here is more
money in it, more territory, more sovereignty, and other
kinds of emolument than there is in any other game that
is played…But Christendom has been playing it badly of
late years…[and] thePeople who Sit in Darkness have
noticed it…and have begun to show alarm…” (112)
 (p. 113: What is ‘the game’?)
Twain “The Philippine Mess” (personal letter)
 “You are supposing that I am moved by a Large
Patriotism, and that I am distressed because our
President has blundered up to his neck in the
Philippine mess; and that I am grieved because this
great big ignorant nation, which doesn’t know even
the ABC facts of the Philippine episode, is in disgrace
before the sarcastic world—drop that idea! I care
nothing for the rest. I am only distressed and
troubled because I am befouled by these things. That
is all.”
‘The Philippine Mess’
 What does it mean to be ‘befouled’ by these things.
 Why would he be befouled?
 Are the other motives intelligible decent motives?
[E.g., distress over the nation’s disgrace…]
 Is a concern about being ‘befouled’ an ethical
concern?
 What are people’s motives for distress over US
foreign involvements?
 Is there a reason to feel befouled?
American Exceptionalism
 What is American Exceptionalism?”
 “This nation is like all the others that have been
spewed upon the earth—ready to shout for any couse
that will tickle its vanity or fill its pocket…”