Political and Social Dynamics Before the War

Political

Such changes in international powers greatly contributed to American dominance in the region, creating a larger sphere of influence in the Asian continent. The U.S. gained sizable territory adequate for taking advantage of the nation's abundant natural resources while also gaining important trade routes to the Asian continent, further connecting America to the foreign world.

The Spanish-American War 1898, Library of Congress

"The [Spanish-American] war heralded the emergence of the United States as a great power, but mostly it reflected the burgeoning national development of the nineteenth century."
~ David Tusk

Social

The Filipinos were often seen as less intellectually advanced compared to Americans in the U.S. media. Such societal perceptions of the Filipinos were used to justify their colonization as they would, "greatly benefit from American assistance" through benevolent assimilation. From the American perspective, it was the U.S.’s duty to continue occupying the land to transition the Filipino population into a modern society. Such ideas were echoed through western works of literature, including the famous poem “The White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling.

Expansion, Before and After, 1899, The Boston Sunday Globe

The White Man's Burden, Guantanamo Public Money Project: The image depicting American responsibnlities to carry ofther non-western countries into success

Smashed!, The Library of Congress: Image depicting how US justified its colonial rule inside of the Philippines to eliminate any tyrannical governments