15/11/2025
🇵🇭 The Philippines Was Bought, Not Conquered
Most people think the U.S. conquered the Philippines.
But here’s the real story:
✔ Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million
This happened in the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.
✔ Filipinos had already declared independence
June 12, 1898.
But we were not invited, consulted, or recognized in the treaty.
✔ Refusal to be “transferred” sparked a war
The Philippine American War (1899–1902) broke out because Filipinos resisted U.S. rule.
Bought on paper. Fought in reality.
⸻
Sources
• Treaty of Paris, December 10, 1898 (U.S. State Department Archives)
• Philippine Declaration of Independence, June 12, 1898
• Philippine American War records, U.S. National Archives
