ASSESSMENT OF THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION (1900-1942) It looked like they were helping us, like we were hand in hand,

having the common goal of overthrowing Spain because they were also in dispute over Cuba. Aggression broke out on February 4, 1899, an event written on account, an American private (William Greyson) on patrol killed a Filipino soldier while crossing San Juan Bridge. After this happened, all peace talks were thrown away. This signaled the start of the second phase of the Philippine revolution, the FilipinoAmerican war (Philippine War of Independence). All throughout the war during 18991902, an estimated 4165 American armed forces and 16000 Filipino soldiers lost their lives, not counting the civilians. When America signed the Treaty of Paris after the Spanish-American war, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines islands were bought from Spain for a meager twenty million dollars by America. But even before signing the treaty, the United States has already controlled Manila, but had not yet penetrated the other parts of country. After signing the treaty, President McKinley ordered the War Department to bring all of the islands under military control because the people of the Philippines were too "uncivilized" to govern themselves. This angered the Filipinos, because they thought the Americans were here to help us in our struggle for independence. Filipino-Muslims were neutral during this time because of the Bates Treaty. We were refused to be granted freedom for forty-five years. It took many lives to make us realize that back then, the Americans that went here were not our allies. Aside from the wars, the lives lost and the racist brutality, there was a considerable amount of good things we noticed and adopted. Around that time, we can say that the US was kinder than other colonizers that time, for example, Germany. We also modified our government to democratic, having municipal elections and advance political techniques. We had legislative and executive committees under a civilian government. Lands of previous Spanish friars were also transferred and sold to us, but these lands went to the hands of rich Filipinos because most of us cannot afford to pay the prices the Americans were asking. When the IFI (Aglipayan Church) was built, it opened our minds to other religions like Jehovas Witnesses

among others. There was also a high economic rise during this time, under the Philippine Bill 1902, it was stated that the natural resources and lands were all for the inhabitants, but we were very dependent on the US. We also had a boom in population, together with the policies for lands. Our trade was made open to America; we didnt need to pay customs taxes, retail trade was evident. One of the biggest influences of the Americans was the technologies of transportation and communications. We had free education, learned the English language, had greater respect for press and media, improved women rights, and we learned various recreational activities like watching movies. Setting aside the economic advances, the downside of it all, we sold our raw materials cheap, and then we buy expensive materials from the United States. We were spoiled by free trade. Filipinos of all classes and soon began adopting Western aspects of civilization, among them clothes. Filipinos during the American invasion also adopted the American fashion statement using hats, long sleeved coats and long-sleeved polos inside it with matching neck ties for men. We slowly forgot national patriotism, and our colonial mentalities worsened. The Philippines was granted our long-awaited independence in 1946. The Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed on July 4, 1946.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia http://www.instablogs.com/philipinesunder-american-occupation.html http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/history3.htm http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?igm=2&i=191 http://tabonwoman.blogspot.com/2009/05/american-period_22.html JSTOR: Benevolic Assimilation: The American Conquest of the Philippines by

Stuart Creighton Miller