Contrary to popular belief the Spanish-American War was not fought to gain an empire. And to call it anything but the Spanish-American War like the Spanish-American-Cuban War forgets the global aspect to the thing, should we call it the Spanish-American-Cuban-Philippine War? I figure keep it simple.
The only group of people who really wanted war was the "yellow press" - led by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Nothing like a war to sell papers. Surprisingly enough, most big business interests (the villains dujour of most of today's movies and tv shows, along with the military) were opposed to war. It was bad for business. The insurrection in Cuba was hurting their business interests there; they wanted an end to hostilities and stability, hopefully a continuation of the status quo.
McKinley was roundly opposed to the war but events got out of his hands, with the sinking of the Maine, which was rightly or wrongly (according to recent scholarship) blamed on the Spanish. This turned public opinion against Spain and for the war. If it was the Cuban insurrectionists who did it to bring the US into the conflict it was a stroke of Machiavellian genius. We went to war and came out some ninety days later the reluctant possessors of an Empire. The one fact was the Spanish governor of Cuba was notoriously ruthless in his treatment of the Cubans and most of the stories of mistreatment of the Cuban people were true - even if some were embellished for propaganda effect.
If before the sinking of the Maine, the American people were somewhat apathetic about war with Cuba, a large portion of the Cuban people looked to the USA for their "deliverance" from Spanish rule. There was even a large movement among the Cubans to annex itself to the US - an idea that had floated since before the American Civil War both in Cuba and the American South in particular as pre-War Southerners saw in Cuba another slave state in their war for balance of power in the Senate.
At the onset of the war Congress passed the Teller Amendment promising Independence to Cuba and stating the aim of the US in entering the war was not to conquer Cuba from Spain, but rather to assist them in gaining their independence. Later, after the war the fear of destabilization in post-war Cuba caused Congress to pass the Platt Amendment to allow the US to still have a say in Cuban affairs without violating at least the letter of the Teller Amendment. There was also a genuine fear other powers might take over where Spain left off as well as the fear of what might happen to the Cubans as they moved toward self-rule without experience at governing themselves. And there are numerous examples of revolutions getting rid of one tyrant only to be replaced by another. One might look back from over one hundred years and doubt the motives and call the attitude condescending, but in the age of Empires and colonialism, it rang valid to the most well-meaning. Technically, Cuba DID gain its independence after the war, even though the US received a lease on a base in Guantanamo, Bay, which we retain to this day. One might wring their hands over that, but at the time it made smart strategic sense and during the Cold War was invaluable.
A similar situation existed in the Philippines. Almost as soon as the war ended we were trying to find a way to get out of there that wouldn't do more harm than good. While doing research for a paper on the Philippine - American War (once called the Philippine Insurrection) I had the opportunity to read the official dispatches and orders to and from Washington and the commanders in the field. We went there mainly to hurt the Spanish but discovered the removal of the Spanish only opened the Philippines to conquest to other world powers, particularly Germany, who with Japan and Russia came a bit late to the colonial empire building business and saw the Philippines as ripe for the plucking, particularly with the Spanish out of the way. Couple that with the warring factions among the Filipinos themselves there was a genuine concern that US withdrawal from the islands might precipitate a civil war, which would make the islands even more ripe for taking over by the powers standing by. So, taking these factors - along with the enormous strategic value of its location in Far East trade and military value - the US delayed its withdrawal and a war ensued. A very nasty war on all sides. It reminded me a lot of wars that followed across the globe with a great power fighting a guerilla war. Though there were incidents of war crimes from our troops, which were blasted and broadcast by a press against the war (sounds familiar to a soldier from my generation) for the most part our troops behaved with great restraint, considering the nature of the type of war they were fighting and the racism and bigotry endemic of the period.
Attempts to relocate Filipinos out of insurgent controlled areas, not only limited insurgent recruitment efforts but also protected the villagers from depredations. I was surprised to learn that schools set up by US volunteers in the relocation areas led to the Filipino people having among the highest literacy rates in Asia for decades. I'm not saying all was lilacs and roses, mind you. It was a dirty war - there aren't many really clean ones - even World War 2 had its dark side - but irregular or Counter-Insurgency is particularly nasty and requires the highest discipline among the soldiers forced to fight an enemy that blends with the populace. As I've said many, many times, I'm not so much surprised at the fact war crimes happen as I am they don't happen more often in the heat of combat. It is too often hard to turn the "kill" off. Don't get me wrong - I'm not justifying the crimes or the criminals.
The fact I discovered in my research (to my surprise) the US government almost from the first was trying to find a way to move the Philippines toward independence (while hopefully maintaining rights to a naval base or two for strategic reasons). An Insular Government was established in January 1901 to give the Filipinos self-government within the protective cover (needed or not is a matter of opinion) of the US. The entire goal was to move the Philippines to independence and self-government. At the end of 1932 (December 30 to be exact) Congress gave outgoing President Hoover a goodbye kiss by overriding his veto of the Hare–Hawes–Cutting Bill, which established a plan to grant the Philippines independence in ten years. This plan was delayed by the invasion of Japan in 1941, but the Philippines gained its independence in 1946, almost immediately after the war. The long well-intended, if oft wrongly executed plan for Philippines independence was complete.
I have great fondness for the Philippines and Filipino people. There is a great deal of ambivalence as one travels across the country from north to south, island to island. My son and his family have been living in Baguio at the Northern end of Luzon in the mountain region (gorgeous) where they teach at a seminary; I see more pro-American t-shirts and God Bless America than I see in the States! By the same token, going to a movie over there is a cultural experience in itself. Every showing starts with the Philippine National Anthem (reminds me of going to see movies on post when I was in the Army), but the anthem is played over a film that shows Filipinos fighting (and beating) all the various invaders in their history, from the Chinese, the Spanish, the US, and the Japanese. There's a scene of Filipino natives attacking and hacking apart ancient Chinese warriors with their trusty bolos; it switches to Filipino natives hacking Spanish troops to pieces; then US troops, then Japanese (of course in this one they have some modern weapons, too). This is serious business and you risk your neck if you comment or snicker - EVERYONE must stand during the anthem - even guests from the country whose troops are being hacked apart. I figure it's only polite to one's hosts.
After years of protests and conflict the US finally closed its base at Subic Bay. Visit the area now and one finds a lot of expatriate retired US Sailors and Marines living well off their retirement but missing the Base Exchanges. One also finds Filipinos who miss the bases and the economic benefits the Sailors and Marines brought to the area through base jobs and their spending their checks. I spoke with more than one who said he wished the US would come back.
I titled my paper from a sign I saw in a picture of the protests against our base in Subic Bay during my research. I think it best sums up US/Filipino relations: "YANKEE GO HOME - AND TAKE ME WITH YOU!"
Sorry to go on so long but hope it is enlightening. I went in to my research with certain pre-conceived notions about the war from revisionist interpretations and popular opinion formed through a very biased media (particularly dealing with the problems in the Philippines after the war was over, whatever you choose to call them) that was opposed to US occupation in the Philippines. I found this ironic, considering it had been the press that pretty much got us in the mess in the first place by jingoing for war with Spain.
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