Sovereignty of the Philippines

The Sovereignty of the Philippines refers to the status of the Philippines as an independent nation. This article covers sovereignty transitions relating to the Philippines, with particular emphasis on the passing of sovereignty from Spain to the United States in the Treaty of Paris (1898), signed on December 10, 1898 to end the Spanish–American War.

President of the United States William McKinley asserted U.S. sovereignty over the Philippines on December 21, 1898 in his Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation.

In March 1897 Emilio Aguinaldo, a leader of the Katipunan, had been elected President of a revolutionary government at the Tejeros Convention. That government had been meant to replace the Katipunan, though the latter was not formally abolished until 1899. Aguinaldo was again elected President at Biak-na-Bato in November 1897, leading the Biak-na-Bato Republic. Exiled in Hong Kong after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, he returned to the Philippines to renew revolutionary activities with the advent of the Spanish–American War and, in May 1898, formed a dictatorial government. In June 1898, Aguinaldo proclaimed independence from Spanish sovereignty and transformed his dictatorial government into a revolutionary government. On January 22, 1899 (subsequent to the signing of the Treaty of Paris) Aguinaldo's government was constituted by the Malolos Congress and is called the Malolos Republic as well as the First Philippine Republic (Spanish: Republica Filipina). Aguinaldo was again elected president in January 1899, and attempted unsuccessfully to persuade other countries to recognize his nascent government. Following the outbreak of general hostilities between U.S. and Filipino forces in February 1899, the Philippine–American War ensued. Aguinaldo's government effectively ceased to exist on April 1, 1901, when he pledged allegiance to the United States after being captured by U.S. forces in March of that year.

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