The Philippine-American War. A war of frontier and empire

This text discusses the Philippine – American War from 1899-1902 from its beginning to its direct outcome and repercussions.

Coming into the twentieth-century, after the closing of the frontier in 1890, the United States was looking to expand its influence into new frontiers and solidify itself as a significant player on the world stage. Until 1890, the United States had always had a frontier, a vast expanse of uninhabited, untamed, territory to expand into and conquer. Much like Spain which sought other ventures after the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula in 1492 (which lead to the discovery of the American continents), the United States and the American people were forced to look elsewhere in order to continue expanding and developing as a world power.