The Road to Independence for the Philippines

Abstract

Throughout its history, the United States has incorporated annexed territory by allowing territories that have met certain population and political requirements to organize and be admitted as co-equal states.  This paper examines the reasons as to why the Philippines, annexed in the wake of the Spanish American War, was not incorporated and organized for statehood.  Through the examination of the events, writings, and speeches of Americans and Filipinos during the war and the approximately 15 years prior to the passage of the Jones amendment, this paper examines the motivations behind the decisions that led to the unique status of the Philippines.  The racial attitudes of white Americans meant that Filipinos were undesirable for inclusion in the US, preventing their incorporation as a potential new state, yet they were also deemed unable to self-govern, preventing immediate independence.  Anti-imperialism and a republican spirit with many Americans also pushed back against the type of imperial control seen in European colonial empires over the Philippines.  Finally, the Filipinos themselves pushed for independence.  The interaction of these forces led to the Philippines onto the path toward a delayed independence instead of either statehood like Hawai’i or commonwealth status like Puerto Rico.