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The term Benevolent Assimilation refers to a proclamation about the Philippines issued on December 21, 1898 by U.S. President William McKinley during the Philippine-American War, which followed the defeat of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The proclamation reads in part:Finally, it should be the earnest wish and paramount aim of the military administration to win the confidence, respect, and affection of the inhabitants of the Philippines by assuring them in every possible way that full measure of individual rights and liberties which is the heritage of free peoples, and by proving to them that the mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation substituting the mild sway of justice and right for arbitrary rule.[1]

The proclamation was sent to General Elwell Otis, U.S. military commander in the Philippines. Otis sent Emilio Aguinaldo a version of the proclamation which he bowdlerized by removing the mention of U.S. sovereignty "to stress our benevolent purpose" and not "offend Filipino sensibilities" by substituting "free people" for "supremecy of the United States," and deleting "to exercise future domination".[citation needed] Aguinaldo had proclaimed an insurgent dictatorial government in the Philippines on May 24, 1898, proclaimed Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, and changed the dictatorial government to a revolutionary one on June 23, 1898.

However, General Otis had also sent an unaltered copy of the proclamation to General Marcus Miller in Iloilo City who, unaware that an altered version had been sent to Aguinaldo, passed a copy to a Filipino official there. The unaltered version eventually made its way to Aguinaldo.

Otis later explained,After fully considering the President's proclamation, and the temper of the Taglos, with whom I was daily discussing political problems and the friendly intentions of the U.S.A. Government toward them, I concluded that there were certain words and expressions therein such as "sovereignty," "right of cessation" and those which directed immediate occupation and so forth, which though most admirably employed and tersely expressive of actual conditions, might be advantageously used by the Tagalog. The ignorant classes had been taught to believe that certain words such as "sovereignty," "protection," and so forth had peculiar meanings disastrous to their welfare and significant of future political domination, like that from which they had been recently freed.[2]

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What is Benevolent Assimilation?

The term Benevolent Assimilation refers to a proclamation about the Philippines issued on December 21, 1898 by U.S. President William McKinley during the Philippine-American War, which followed the defeat of Spain during the Spanish-American War.


What was the reaction of filipino to the benevolent assimilation?

Many Filipinos initially welcomed the idea of benevolent assimilation as it offered promises of education and development. However, this sentiment soon shifted as it became clear that the United States had no intention of granting the country independence, leading to widespread resistance and ultimately the Philippine-American War.


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What was the so called benevolent assimilation proclamation?

The Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation was issued by U.S. President William McKinley on December 21, 1898, following the Spanish-American War. It aimed to assert American control over the Philippines, emphasizing a paternalistic approach to governance by promising to improve the lives of Filipinos through education, infrastructure development, and public health. The proclamation framed U.S. intervention as a benevolent act, despite widespread resistance and the eventual Philippine-American War that ensued.


What is a benevolent assimilation?

The term Benevolent Assimilation refers to a proclamation about the Philippines issued on December 21, 1898 by U.S. President William McKinley during the Philippine-American War, which followed the defeat of Spain during the Spanish-American War.


How does the term benevolent assimilation apply to US policies in the Philippines?

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What is the Benevolent Assimilation?

A proclamation by the US tellin the world, and the Philippines in particular, that the occupation of the Philippines was done for their own well being. It is an example of phrasing to justifying what governments, tribes and nations will do and say when doing something that they know is, at best questionable, and at worst, immoral, unethical and illegal.