Article III. "Spain cedes to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands, and comprehending the islands lying within the following line…" "The United States will pay to Spain the sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) within three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty." The treaty text further provides that Spain will, upon the exchange of ratifications, proceed to evacuate the Philippines and that "The civil rights and political status of the native inhabitants of the territories hereby ceded to the United States shall be determined by the Congress."

After its defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898, Spain ceded its longstanding colony of the Philippines to the United States in the Treaty of Paris.[7]

Representatives of Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty in Paris on December 10, 1898, which established the independence of Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and allowed the victorious power to purchase the Philippines Islands from Spain for $20 million.[8]

"The Treaty of Paris (1898), signed by representatives of Spain and the United States in December, transferred Philippine sovereignty from Spain to the United States." It notes that the Philippine-American War "began after the United States assumed sovereignty of the Philippines following the defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American War."

The "Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain," commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898, was signed by Spain and the United States on December 10, 1898, and marked the official end of the Spanish–American War. Under it, Spain relinquished all claim of sovereignty over Cuba and Puerto Rico, Guam, and "the Western Pacific archipelago of the Philippines" to the United States. The treaty specified that Spain would cede the Philippine Islands to the United States in exchange for $20 million, and the exchange of ratifications on April 11, 1899 "completed the passage of Philippine sovereignty to the U.S."

The war formally ended with the 1898 Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10 with terms favorable to the U.S. The treaty ceded ownership of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S., and set Cuba up to become an independent state in 1902, although in practice it became a U.S. protectorate. The cession of the Philippines involved payment of $20 million to Spain by the U.S. to cover infrastructure owned by Spain. Armed conflict broke out between U.S. forces and the Filipinos when U.S. troops began to take the place of the Spanish in control of the country after the end of the war, quickly escalating into the Philippine–American War.

The official U.S. government publication of the treaty text states that, in conformity with Articles I–III, "Spain relinquishes in Cuba, and cedes in Porto Rico and other islands in the West Indies, in the island of Guam, and in the Philippine Archipelago, all the buildings, wharves, barracks, forts, structures, public highways and other immovable property which, in conformity with law, belong to the public domain, and as such belong to the Crown of Spain." It also provides that "The civil rights and political status of the native inhabitants of the territories hereby ceded to the United States shall be determined by the Congress."

CFR’s education resource on overseas expansion notes that after the Spanish-American War, the United States faced an "annexation question" over the Philippines. It describes how "some Americans did support annexation, arguing that the Philippines would expand U.S. geopolitical standing and open doors to Chinese markets," while others opposed taking formal control, reflecting domestic debate over U.S. sovereignty over the islands.

With its victory and subsequent annexation of the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico, the United States stood poised to enter the 20th century as an imperial power. In Paris on December 10, 1898, the United States paid Spain $20 million to annex the entire Philippine archipelago. Another was that, in June 1900 the Philippine Commission, headed by William Howard Taft, arrived with instructions from president Roosevelt to "effect the transition from military to civil government." After a contentious year in which the two jockeyed for power, Taft was sworn in as civil governor on July 4, 1901.

On August 13, U.S. forces captured Manila.[4] The Spaniards capitulated to the Americans' demands, and on December 10, 1898, the U.S. and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Spanish–American War. In Article III, Spain ceded the Philippine archipelago to the United States.[4]

The Tydings–McDuffie Act (Philippine Independence Act) declares: "It is the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognize their independence as soon as a stable government can be established therein." The act provided for a transitional Commonwealth and eventual independence after a ten-year period, indicating U.S. sovereign control at the time of its passage.

"American gains in the Spanish-American War were confirmed at the Treaty of Paris, ceding Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States." It notes that by the terms of the treaty, "Spain ceded Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the US (although the US agreed to pay $20 million for the Philippines)," and that the Treaty of Paris came into effect on 11 April 1899 when ratifications were exchanged.

A historical overview states: "After its defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898, the Treaty of Paris (1898) transferred Philippine sovereignty from Spain to the United States, ending centuries of Spanish control over the politics and economy of its longstanding former colony." It adds that the United States "had gained undisputed control of the Philippines" and retained possession until granting independence in 1946.

A teaching summary from C‑SPAN explains: "On December 10, 1898, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris to end the Spanish-American War." Under the treaty, "Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States and the Philippines were purchased by the U.S. for $20 million." It adds that Cuba became a U.S. protectorate under the treaty.

With the war essentially over, Spain agreed to end hostilities on August 12, 1898, and on December 10, 1898, Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty in Paris. The treaty granted independence to Cuba and ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. The U.S. also purchased the Philippine Islands from Spain for $20 million. American forces continued to fight in the Philippines for the next three years, as Filipino guerrillas fought for outright independence. The conflict known as the Philippine War officially ended on July 4, 1902, though occasional skirmishes continued throughout the next decade.

On December 10, 1898, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the Spanish-American War. As a result of what Secretary of State John Hay called "a splendid little war," the United States emerged from the conflict as a world power. The Philippines were purchased from Spain for twenty million dollars. An insurrection broke out in the Philippines and on February 4, 1899, the United States set forth on a bloody campaign to suppress the revolt. The Philippine Insurrection lasted until July 4, 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt declared the Philippines pacified.

A public history post summarises: "With the conclusion of the Spanish American War in August 1898, the United States acquired sovereignty over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines." This reflects a common historical understanding that U.S. control of the Philippines derived from the war’s outcome and the subsequent peace treaty.

The Zinn Education Project notes that "On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Spanish-American War." It states that the peace treaty "officially [turned] over to the United States Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, for a payment of $20 million." The article emphasizes that the Filipino rebels had already declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, yet the United States and Spain "bought the Philippines from Spain for $20 million" without Filipino representation, leading to a subsequent war for independence against the United States.

The Spanish fleet guarding the Philippines was defeated by the U.S. Navy under the command of Commodore George Dewey on May 1, 1898. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris, on December 10, 1898, which ended the war against Spain, the United States opted to give Cuba its independence but keep the Philippines, to the dismay of the Philippine nationalists. The United States’ drive to extend influence across the Pacific instigated a Philippine American War. Fighting broke out on Feb. 4, 1899, and eventually far exceeded that against Spain. The Spanish-American War and its aftermath delayed Philippine independence until after World War II.

An armistice in August 1898 stopped the shooting in both theaters. In December the Treaty of Paris ended the hostilities with Spain, forcing Spain to cede Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. The Philippines were ceded to the U.S. in exchange for $20 million, and Spain relinquished all claim to Cuba.[9]

A 2025 article in the Philippine Law Journal explains that the Treaty of Paris of 10 December 1898 "ceded, 'to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands.'" It discusses the "totalizing impact of the Treaty on the Philippines" and analyzes how U.S. sovereignty over the archipelago was grounded legally in this cession clause in the treaty concluded after the Spanish-American War.

A historical overview posted on Facebook summarizes that the Treaty of Paris "was signed on December 10, 1898, [and] marked the end of the Spanish-American War." It states that "Under the treaty, Spain ceded the Philippine archipelago, along with Puerto Rico and Guam, to the United States in exchange for $20 million" and that "Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States for $20 million, as part of the treaty's provisions." The post notes that this transfer of sovereignty "led to the Philippine-American War, as Filipino revolutionaries resisted American control."

In the final peace treaty signed in December, Spain ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. Cuba became independent although a US military administration would oversee the island for the time being. The US also bought the Philippines from Spain for 20 million dollars, over 700 million dollars today; Spanish administrators would temporarily stay in place. So the United States had defeated Spain and acquired new territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. For The Philippines, it meant nearly 50 years of American rule.

A 2024 post by a historian on X (formerly Twitter) explains that while the 1898 Treaty of Paris is often viewed as the key agreement, "the Treaty of Washington in 1900 is equally vital for clarifying the Philippines' territory." This reflects that U.S. control of the Philippines was first established by the cession in the Treaty of Paris after the Spanish-American War, and then further defined by the 1900 treaty settling any remaining Spanish claims to additional islands.

A historical summary aimed at students states that "Under the treaty, Spain ceded the Philippine archipelago, along with Puerto Rico and Guam, to the United States in exchange for $20 million" and that "The United States would assume control over the archipelago." It notes that the treaty "marked the end of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines" and that "The transfer of sovereignty led to the Philippine-American War, as Filipino revolutionaries resisted American control."

This surrender essentially signaled the end of the war, though token fighting would occur in Puerto Rico and the Philippines after that date. Spain and the United States would finalize the terms of peace in the Treaty of Paris later that year, under which Spain relinquished its claims to Cuba and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States. The agreement marked the transfer of control over the Philippines from Spain to the U.S., pending subsequent American administration and conflicts there.

A discussion of U.S. involvement in the Philippine-American War notes that "once the war led to the Philippines falling in US control," American politicians chose not to release it. The post frames the conflict as America "fighting/invading a sovereign nation" that had declared independence, contrasting U.S. claims of control derived from the Spanish-American War with Filipino assertions of sovereignty.

The United States and Spain failed to inform the Philippines about their agreement, leading to the initial perception of Americans as liberators. However, this welcoming sentiment quickly shifted as a brutal occupation began, resulting in an insurgency that would last for several years. This situation ultimately resulted in the Philippine-American War, during which U.S. troops interned Filipino civilians in concentration camps. The Philippine Commonwealth was formally inaugurated on November 15, 1935, an unprecedented world event in which the United States, a colonial power, was preparing to let go of its colony.

After the Spanish-American War, control of Cuba and the Philippines was transferred from Spain to the United States in 1898. Cuba achieved independence in 1902, while the Philippines did not until 1946, following a bill passed about a decade earlier to facilitate the transition.[2]