Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo,
First Leader of the Philippines

For the Americans, the fighting did not stop with the Spanish; if America was to take control of the islands, the "insurgents" with whom they had fought alongside earlier had to be dealt with. The leader of these "insurgents" was General Emilio Aguinaldo.

Born of a well-to-do family in Cavite, near Manila, Aguinaldo possessed an intelligence beyond most Filipinos. He joined the rebellion in 1896, and it was not until the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal that he became one of the leaders. He was so notorious that the Spanish often placed large sums of money on his head; however, he escaped capture.

It was Aguinaldo who declared the Philippines' independence and who led the fight when it seemed apparent that America would not release its hold of the Philippines.


General Emilio Aguinaldo in military uniform, February 1899.
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