What did the Schurman Commission do?

The Schurman Commission, also known as the First Philippine Commission, was established by United States President William McKinley on January 20, 1899, and tasked to study the situation in the Philippines and make recommendations on how the U.S. should proceed after the sovereignty of the Philippines was ceded to the …

What were the content of the Schurman Commission?

Specific recommendations included the establishment of civilian government as rapidly as possible (the American chief executive in the islands at that time was the military governor), including establishment of a bicameral legislature, autonomous governments on the provincial and municipal levels, and a system of free …

What was the goal of the Taft Commission?

On 4 July 1901, William Howard Taft, president of the commission, became the Philippines’ first civilian governor. The commission defined its mission as preparing the Filipinos for eventual independence, and focused on economic development, public education, and the establishment of representative institutions.

Why were there American commissions assigned to the Philippines?

The United States began planning to administer the archipelago in January 1899 when President McKinley established the Philippine commission to gather information about the islands’ “various populations,” their “legislative needs,” and to identify how best to maintain “order, peace and the public welfare.”

Who was the fifth member of the Schurman Commission?

The fifth member Maj. Gen. Elwell Otis was absent from the photo) On January 20, 1899, United States President William McKinley created the first Philippine Commission, known as the Schurman Commission. This commission recommended establishment of a civil government, bicameral legislature and a public school system in the Philippines.

When did the Schurman Commission arrive in Manila?

The three civilian members of the commission arrived in Manila on March 4, 1899, a month after the Battle of Manila which had begun armed conflict between U.S. forces and Filipino forces under Emilio Aguinaldo. General Otis viewed the arrival of his fellow commission members as an intrusion and boycotted commission meetings.

What did President McKinley say to the Schurman Commission?

In the proclamation of this Special Commission, President McKinley sent following statement of “regulative principles” to the commissioners. The supremacy of the United States must and will be enforced throughout every part of the Archipelago, and those who resist it can accomplish no end other than their own ruin.

What did the Schurman Commission do in Malolos?

The commission spent a month meeting with Ilustrados who had deserted Aguinaldo’s Malolos Republic government and studying the Malolos Constitution and other documents of Aguinaldo’s revolutionary government.