Chains of Empire, projects of state: Political education and U.S. colonial rule in Puerto Rico and the Philippines

Abstract

The political education project in Puerto Rico and the Philippines was projected to set up a tutelary regime which would teach Puerto Ricans and Filipinos the ways of American-styled democratic government. Under American control, Puerto Ricans and Filipinos would vote in free elections, take up office, help devise legislation, and administer the colony's daily affairs-first in local (municipal) governments and later in national legislative assemblies. The native officials would be given more and more autonomy as they moved through this system, slowly learning their so-called 'object lessons' in American-styled governance. Local governments would be granted more duties and functions, the legislative assemblies would be allowed to devise laws 'with less and less assistance, ' and in general American control would be slowly loosened. The underlying principle of political education was thus: 'Free self-government in ever-increasing measure'.