Aida Spain was forced to give up its control over Cuba and the
Philippine Islands. The United States thought Cuba was now ready to
govern itself, and Cuba became an independent country. But the United
States Government thought that the Philippine people were not quite
ready to govern themselves, and that the United States should remain in
control for some years
Aida Spain was forced to give up its control over Cuba and the Philippine Islands. The United States thought Cuba was now ready to govern itself, and Cuba became an independent country. But the United States Government thought that the Philippine people were not quite ready to govern themselves, and that the United States should remain in control for some years. General Agui- naldo disagreed. He thought the Philippine Islands should have full independence immediately. So in June 1898 he set up an independent Philippine government and became its first president.
He formed an army and'began to fight to chase the Americans out of the islands. The United States won that fight, too, and in 1901 captured General Aguinaldo. He said he believed he had been wrong, and took an oath of allegiance to the United States. his later years The Philippine people still admired and respected General Aguinaldo, but he did not appear very much in public life. More than thirty years later, he did become a candidate for president of the Philippine Islands, but he was defeated by President Manuel Quezon. However, when the Japanese went to war against the United States in World War II and occupied the Philippine Islands, he let them make him head of the controlled Philippine government they set up there, although he did say he disapproved of their attack on Pearl Harbor. The Filipinos, who were fighting so bravely against the Japanese, considered this treason on the part of their old leader, but because he had been such a great patriot long ago they did not take any steps to punish him. As you can read in the article on the Philippine Islands, the United States did keep its word, and the Philippine Islands became an independent country, the Republic of the Philippines, in 1946.
