Final answer:
The Philippines were purchased by the U.S. from Spain in 1898. Despite Filipino resistance, America governed the Philippines until they judged the people were capable of self-rule. The United States finally granted the Philippines independence in 1946.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States was indeed the Philippines' last colonial master, granting independence to the country in 1946. The U.S. obtained the Philippines from Spain at the end of Spanish-American War in 1898. Spain sold the Philippines to the United States after Commodore George Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. Later, the U.S. had to address Filipino resistance as they attempted to govern the Philippines considering strategic benefits like its proximity to China and potential trade opportunities.
Leaders of the Filipino independence movement, such as Emilio Aguinaldo, were expecting sovereignty post-Spanish rule but were disappointed when the U.S. decided to govern the islands until they deemed the people were capable of ruling themselves. A significant resistance effort was initiated, but it waned with the capture of Aguinaldo by American forces and appointment of William Howard Taft as the civil governor, introducing several reforms in the territory.
The Philippines struggled under American rule and the country's pursuit of independence resumed earnestly following World War II. Ultimately, independence was conferred to the Philippines in 1946 by the United States, marking the end of U.S. colonial rule there.
Learn more about U.S. Colonial Rule in Philippines