First of 3 parts

The great American bargain: McKinley paid Spain $20 million for the Philippines, and bought a $300 million war.

– Onofre D. Corpuz

First word

I HAVE often wondered why and how the month of February became fortuitously the month of choice for watershed moments or turning points in Philippine history. Did Providence guide the hand of time to favor the shortest month of the year? Or was this the doing of our national leaders seeking a place in history?

Equally puzzling to me is why in two of the most important watershed moments in our national life, the United States government figured prominently in deciding the course of events and in shaping the transition of the Philippines to a new state of affairs.