The old historical photos posted here, I have personally copied from the Library of American Congress, University of Wisconsin's Digital collections, from other sources and the other photos were courtesy of SSC forumer “Animo” who religiously research, scanned and posted the photos in the Skyscrapercity Retrato series and other historical threads in SSC Forum.
On May 1, 1898 - U.S. Commodore George Dewey in six hours defeated the Spanish squadron,
under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón, in Manila Bay, the Philippines Islands. Dewey led the Asiatic Squadron of the U.S. Navy, which had been based in Hong Kong, in the attack.
21 December 1898 - President McKinley issued his Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation, ceding the Philippines to the United States, and instructing the American occupying army to use force, as necessary, to impose American sovereignty over the Philippines even before he obtained Senate ratification of the peace treaty with Spain.
