How did the Spanish-American War alter the trajectory of Filipino nationalism?

The Spanish-American War catalysed Filipino nationalism by shifting the struggle for independence from Spain to the United States.

The Spanish-American War, which occurred in 1898, marked a significant turning point in the trajectory of Filipino nationalism. Prior to the war, the Philippines had been a Spanish colony for over three centuries. The Filipino people had long been struggling for independence from Spanish rule, with the Philippine Revolution beginning in 1896. However, the Spanish-American War changed the dynamics of this struggle.

The war began as a conflict between the United States and Spain over Cuba, but it quickly expanded to include the Philippines. The United States, seeing an opportunity to expand its influence in the Pacific, decided to seize the Philippines from Spain. The Filipino revolutionaries, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, initially welcomed the Americans as allies against Spain. However, it soon became clear that the United States had no intention of granting the Philippines independence.

This shift in the struggle for independence from Spain to the United States had a profound impact on Filipino nationalism. The Filipino people felt betrayed by the United States, which they had initially seen as a liberator. This sense of betrayal fuelled a surge in nationalist sentiment, leading to the Philippine-American War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902.

The war was a brutal and bloody conflict, with the United States employing harsh tactics to suppress the Filipino independence movement. This further fuelled nationalist sentiment among the Filipino people, as they saw firsthand the lengths to which the United States was willing to go to maintain control over the Philippines.

In the end, the United States emerged victorious from the Philippine-American War, and the Philippines remained a U.S. colony until 1946. However, the war had a lasting impact on Filipino nationalism. It solidified the Filipino people's desire for independence and their determination to resist foreign domination. This spirit of resistance and desire for independence continues to shape Filipino nationalism to this day.