Philippine Independence Struggle

In the early 20th century, the Philippines fought for their independence from American rule. The United States had conquered the islands during the Spanish-American War in 1898 after a brief campaign. During this period, Filipinos struggled under American colonialism, which included restrictions on native languages and customs, suppression of nationalist movements and political organizations, interferences with religious freedom, land expropriations for white settlers, and other discriminatory measures. By 1900, President William McKinley promised self-government to the Philippine Islands by 1916. However, when World War I broke out in Europe, both Britain and France demanded that the U.S. abandon plans to grant independence in order to divert Japanese attention away from them and toward America's colonies. Despite these challenges, some progress was made towards independence. For instance, in 1919, the Philippines was granted limited autonomy over its internal affairs through the Jones Act. This allowed for limited local constitutional government until complete independence could be achieved. Nonetheless, it would take another two decades before full independence materialized. On July 4, 1946, the Treaty of Manila was signed, officially ending American sovereignty over the Philippines. Thus, the journey to independence involved many struggles and setbacks, but ultimately led to a significant milestone in Philippine history where they gained control over their own nation.