This monograph, published in 1925, is an influential work by Daniel R. Williams, an American who served as a judge in the Philippines from 1903 to 1905. The book provides a critical analysis of the American conquest and subsequent colonial rule in the Philippines, covering the period from the Spanish-American War in 1898 to the mid-1920s. Williams argues that the retention of the Philippines was primarily driven by the self-interest of a few Americans rather than the principles of American republicanism or the benefit of the Filipino people. The book was published during a time of intense political debate in the United States regarding the fulfillment of the promise of Philippine independence, a key national event in both American and Philippine history. Its publication at this critical juncture makes it a primary source reflecting American anti-imperialist sentiment and is highly relevant to understanding the dynamics of the American colonial period and the rise of the Filipino independence movement.
The United States and the Philippines