The conquest of the Philippines by the United States, 1898-1925

"The conquest of the Philippines by the United States, 1898-1925" by Moorfield Storey et al. is a historical account written in the early 20th century. It contends that America’s takeover and rule of the Philippines grew from premeditated strategy and commercial ambition rather than pure humanitarian motives, and it builds a sustained case for Philippine independence.

The opening of the book lays out its thesis in a forceful preface: American ideals of equality and consent were betrayed in the Philippines, where executive power and business interests drove policy while the public was misled. It then revisits Cuba to show precedent—sympathy for Cuban suffering, the Teller pledge of independence, and the later Platt Amendment that kept U.S. control—before turning to Spanish abuses in the Philippines, the rise of nationalism (Rizal, the Katipunan), the 1897 truce and its broken promises, and renewed revolt. The narrative shows Dewey’s attack as planned in advance, highlights U.S. commercial aims, and details close early cooperation with Aguinaldo: Filipino forces besieged Manila, formed a provisional government, and ran orderly administrations across Luzon, only to be excluded from the city’s surrender—an exclusion that bred tension. It next describes the Paris peace: secret instructions, refusal to hear the Filipino envoy, purchase of the archipelago, and what the authors call “forcible annexation,” followed by a U.S. ratification fight framed by competing principles and politics. The section closes amid Senator Lodge’s argument to ratify first and decide policy later.