Should the United States Have Annexed the Philippines

In this paper, we`re going to talk about benevolent assimilation, and answer the question: why did the United States of America annex the Philippines? Is this colonization justified? Why or why not? What were the main points of Aguinaldo`s reply to the proclamation? Based o your readings of the two documents, was the Philippines betrayed by the United States of America when it decided to colonize the country? How and why so? And lastly, what ideas do the document provide in helping us understand our past as a people? First, America annex the Philippines because they believe that there were a lot of commercial opportunities will happen in Asia, and also in their view Filipinos are not capable to rule themselves, because that time we are afraid to be ruled by other countries such as Germany or Japan, this colonization is justified because as I said earlier the Filipino`s are afraid to be ruled by others because America said and I quote we come not as invaders or conquerors, but as a friend, to protect the natives in their homes, in their employments and in their personal and religious rights but in my opinion, benevolent assimilation is just also the as colonialism because come to think of it that piece of paper just declared that America will benefit from the Philippines, how does it happen? It all started in Spanish American war which the Americans wins and bought the Philippines for about $20 million, because they are not satisfied with that they also want to invade the Asia Pacific that includes our country and Guam, no one will be happy in that kind of situation if you`re just going to analyze the Spanish just gave us to America. But let`s just view it in a positive way Americans spread their democratic values with us, they also introduce the presidential system, the education, which have a big impact on our lives now such as our culture and how we think, they help us to improve our civilization as well as our wealth. On the other hand those are just the positive contribution of America in the Philippines, if we are going to talk about the negative impact of American colonialism in our country we will see that it results to a bloody war which a lot of Filipino citizens die, because Emilio Aguinaldo didn`t agree with the benevolent assimilation but of course he has a reason, Americans attacked on the sovereignty of the Filipinos, which they plan to conquer our country, as Emilio Aguinaldo reply to President McKinley`s Proclamation, he clarified that he never had any agreement with the American regarding the recognition of American sovereignty in the Philippines, he also stated that the United States are recognized by act of belligerency which means they show us a aggressive or war-like behaviour which was the reason why he protest against the threats of American sovereignty, he also say that he didn`t go with them to make war against Spain for the benefit of their own but for our liberty and independence, because as we know all we need that time is to be free with colonialism, and as he says in the last paragraph of his reply I quote independence has been our noble ambition. And lastly based on my readings, in my own opinion, yes the Philippines was betrayed by the United States because at first America said that they just come as friends that protect us but at the end of the day President McKinley`s proclaimed the benevolent assimilation which refers to the policy of the United States towards our country and it didn`t approve by Emilio Aguinaldo which results to a bloody war that kills a lot of people. This document just makes us realize how our countrymen fight for our freedom, how fearless and brave they are despite all the challenges that come into them at that time, and it gives us an understanding of how we came up in this institution we have right now.