Summary
Highlights
The Treaty of Paris in 1898, also known as the 'Tratado de Paz,' was signed on December 10, 1898, ending the Spanish-American War. It determined the future of the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Pacific islands, which were formerly part of the Spanish Empire.
Crucially, none of the affected islands had representation during the negotiations, even though countries like Cuba and the Philippines had already declared independence. The First Philippine Republic's attempt to send a delegation, led by Felipe Agoncillo, was denied. Spain, under Queen Maria Cristina, initially resisted relinquishing its claims over these islands. However, intense pressure from the U.S. forced Spain to sell the sovereignty of these islands for $20 million (approximately $610 million today).
A significant issue was that neither Spain nor the United States had effective control over the entire Philippines at the time of the treaty. Spain had largely lost control to the Filipino revolutionaries, and the U.S. only controlled the walled city of Manila (Intramuros), a tiny area. Furthermore, regions like the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao had never been fully colonized by Spain, maintaining their independence. This meant the sale of these islands was baseless, as Spain and the U.S. lacked the right to exchange sovereignty over the Philippines and its people.
Despite being called a 'Treaty of Peace,' it did not bring peace or justice. Instead, it marginalized the people of the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Marianas, treating them as pawns in Western capitalism and imperialism. The treaty confirmed the fears of many Filipino revolutionaries that the Americans intended to deprive them of their hard-won independence, for which many had died.