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How Did The Spanish American War Affect The Philippines

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The Spanish American War was a four month conflict between the United States and Spain provoked by many things. Spain, at the time,was controlling Cuba. In 1895, Jose Marti and the inserrectos1 revolted against Spanish rule, leading to General Valeriano Weyler to become the governor of Cuba. General Weyler was harsh with the rebels and non rebels alike and put much of the Cuban population in concentration camps, where the many Cubans died from starvation and disease. Americans felt very sympathetic for the Cubans and the way they were being treated, especially because of “yellow journalism”. Yellow journalism exaggerated the way the Spanish were treating the Cubans and deepened many Americans' hatred for the Spanish. Joseph Pulitzer, owner of the New York World, and William Randolph Hearst, owner of the New York …show more content…

While Spain was controlling Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans lived in poverty and had a lack of roads and equipment for agriculture, which they depend on for income. Once the United States took control over Puerto Rico, Congress passed the Foraker Act, establishing a civil government in Puerto Rico. The United States decided to govern the Philippines until they are able to govern themselves. President McKinley explained that giving the Philippines back to Spain would be "cowardly and dishonorable", giving the Philippines to France ore Germany would be bad business since they were our commercial rivals in the Orient6, and letting them govern themselves would lead to an anarchy. President McKinley said there is only no other options but to "take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God's grace do the very best we could by them, as our fellow men for whom Christ also died". The United States uplifted and aided the Filipinos. The Philippines was also a perfect place for a coaling station for the US navy throughout the

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