A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : An American In the Philippines, 1899-1901 Duke University: Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library This resource presents the transcribed diary-journal of George Percival Scriven, an American Army Signal Corps Officer in the Philippines at the turn of twentieth century. He wrote this narrative both as a personal memoir and as a place to keep notes for a book that he planned to write about the American invasion and occupation of the Philippine Islands. Scriven had a clear appreciation of cultural diversity and a certain uneasiness about "the white man's burden" that makes his work appealing to modern readers. The digitized journal is enhanced with photographs from the period and links to related journals and historical documents. As an anticipatory set to reading excerpts from the journal, students could brainstorm a list of words and phrases that they think Americans traveling to the Phillipines around 1900 might have used to describe the islands and the Filipinos living there. Students could then share their responses with the class. Students could brainstorm a list of reasons they think the United States wanted to have influence over the Philippines in 1900. Students could then choose any one of the reasons they chose, or that they or classmates chose, and write a paragraph elaborating on this reason as to why the U.S. was involved with the Philippines. Students could then elaborate or modify their response after reading excerpts of the journal. Students could read teacher-selected excerpts of the journal, and the accompanying text, "About the U.S. Military Occupation of Bohol, 1900-1902." Students could use these resources, along with the text, and a map of the Philippines including Bohol, to create a representation of the U.S. involvement of the Philippines during and after the Spanish-American War. This representation could be an editorial, essay, collage, or drawing. Students could share their representations with the class.

(a) explaining the changing policies of the United States toward Latin America and Asia and the growing influence of the United States in foreign markets;

An American In the Philippines, 1899-1901
Duke University: Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library

Description: This resource presents the transcribed diary-journal of George Percival Scriven, an American Army Signal Corps Officer in the Philippines at the turn of twentieth century. He wrote this narrative both as a personal memoir and as a place to keep notes for a book that he planned to write about the American invasion and occupation of the Philippine Islands. Scriven had a clear appreciation of cultural diversity and a certain uneasiness about "the white man's burden" that makes his work appealing to modern readers. The digitized journal is enhanced with photographs from the period and links to related journals and historical documents.

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

As an anticipatory set to reading excerpts from the journal, students could brainstorm a list of words and phrases that they think Americans traveling to the Phillipines around 1900 might have used to describe the islands and the Filipinos living there. Students could then share their responses with the class. Students could brainstorm a list of reasons they think the United States wanted to have influence over the Philippines in 1900. Students could then choose any one of the reasons they chose, or that they or classmates chose, and write a paragraph elaborating on this reason as to why the U.S. was involved with the Philippines. Students could then elaborate or modify their response after reading excerpts of the journal.

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

Students could read teacher-selected excerpts of the journal, and the accompanying text, "About the U.S. Military Occupation of Bohol, 1900-1902." Students could use these resources, along with the text, and a map of the Philippines including Bohol, to create a representation of the U.S. involvement of the Philippines during and after the Spanish-American War. This representation could be an editorial, essay, collage, or drawing. Students could share their representations with the class.