How did America rule the Philippines?

Answer 1

Actually, American rule of the Philippines was controversial. For most Americans, they were okay about the US having a colony (or a possession). Most newspapers and magazines of that era portrayed the 1898 acquisition of the Philippines from Spain (after Spain lost the war) as a good thing-- the US would bring "order and stability" to the island nation, and make it more modern. On the other hand, there were some American critics who were opposed-- they believed the US had no right to occupy the Philippines, and they said that to do so was imperialism. Further, some Filipinos were not happy about the situation either; there was an insurgent movement that wanted independence, and they resisted the US military. Various skirmishes ended with thousands of Filipino civilians dying, and the US finally took control in 1901.

The US set up a government in the Philippines; it was supposed to have local control, but American politicians like future president William Howard Taft supervised it. American political leaders said they were preparing the country for its eventual independence, and they tried to teach Filipino politicians about democratic rule. Meanwhile, the good news was the US government did modernize the islands-- for example, universal public school education was made available. But the bad news was a small group of wealthy Filipino elites was allowed to control the country. These elites, along with US political figures, benefited from the country's Natural Resources, leading to persistent poverty and other unfair conditions for the Philippines' working class. Many Filipinos were frustrated and angry about US rule, and they continued to want independence. They finally got their wish when President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed to make the Philippines a commonwealth, after which it would be allowed to become an independent country by 1946.

Answer 2

through military action