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 <img 
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 alt="Historical black-and-white illustration of American and Spanish peace commissioners gathered around a long conference table in Paris during the 1898 peace negotiations." 
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 <figcaption>
 Delegates of the United States and Spain negotiating the <a href="/kauswagan/articles/5/the-treaty-of-paris-of-1898" class="news-link">Treaty of Paris</a> at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in late 1898.
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Together, these twin events on <time datetime="1898-10-01">October 1, 1898</time>, marked the opening chapter of a geopolitical shift that transferred sovereignty over the Philippine archipelago from Spain to the United States - without the consent of the Filipino people.


<h2>Prelude to Paris: The Protocol of Peace</h2>


The Spanish-American War, which broke out in April 1898, ended active military hostilities on <time datetime="1898-08-12">August 12, 1898</time>, with the signing of a preliminary Protocol of Peace in Washington, D.C.


Under the terms of the Protocol:


<ul class="k-list">
 <li>
 Spain agreed to relinquish all claims of sovereignty over Cuba.
 </li>
 <li>
 Spain agreed to cede Puerto Rico and an island in the Ladrones (<a href="/articles/3118/guams-history-and-deep-ties-to-the-philippines-and-filipinos" class="news_link">Guam</a>) to the United States.
 </li>
 <li>
 The United States was authorized to occupy the city, bay, and harbor of Manila pending the conclusion of a formal peace treaty that would determine the ultimate "control, disposition, and government of the Philippines."
 </li>
</ul>


The Protocol stipulated that five commissioners from each nation meet in Paris no later than <time datetime="1898-10-01">October 1, 1898</time>, to draft the final treaty.


<h2>The Paris Peace Commission: Delegations and Conflicting Visions</h2>

When the negotiations opened on <time datetime="1898-10-01">October 1, 1898</time>, the two sides brought vastly different agendas to the negotiating table.


<h3 class="my-h3">The American Delegation</h3>

Headed by former U.S. Secretary of State William R. Day, who resigned his cabinet post specifically to lead the commission, the American team was strategically composed of influential political figures:


<ul class="k-list">
 <li>
 Senator Cushman K. Davis (Republican–Minnesota), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an ardent expansionist.
 </li>
 <li>
 Senator William P. Frye (Republican–Maine), a proponent of commercial and territorial expansion in the Pacific.
 </li>
 <li>
 Whitelaw Reid, former U.S. Minister to France and publisher of the New York Tribune, who strongly advocated for imperial expansion.
 </li>
 <li>
 Senator George Gray (Democrat–Delaware), the sole anti-imperialist on the commission, who opposed acquiring overseas colonies.
 </li>
</ul>

<h3 class="my-h3">The Spanish Delegation</h3>


Led by Don Eugenio Montero Ríos, President of the Spanish Senate, the Spanish delegation included skilled diplomats and politicians:


<ul class="k-list">
 <li>Don Buenaventura de Abarzuza</li>
 <li>Don José de Garnica</li>
 <li>Don Wenceslao Ramírez de Villa-Urrutia</li>
 <li>Don Rafael Cerero</li>
 <li>
 Jules Cambon, the French Ambassador to the United States, who acted as an intermediary and advocate for Spanish interests throughout the talks.
 </li>
</ul>


Spain's primary objectives were to preserve national honor, retain as much territory as possible, and force the United States to assume Cuba's staggering $400 million colonial debt.

October 1, 1898: Paris Peace Negotiations Begin

Explore the historical details of the October 1, 1898 peace negotiations between the US and Spain, and the exclusion of the First Philippine Republic.

October 1, 1898: the peace negotiations between Spain and the United States started