THE 1904 PHILIPPINE RESERVE (ANTHROPOLOGY DAYS) AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN COLONIALISM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The 1904 Philippine Reserve and Anthropology Days event have been often been viewed in disdain given its association with exploitation and mockery. While such exhibits portray the impressions of a particular time, there is the element of continuity embedded within. Although there have extensive studies on the Philippine Reserve and Anthropology Days, there is no scholarly treatment which examines the implications of these events in the development of American colonialism through sports in the Philippines. Hence, this thesis will explore the Philippine Reserve and the Anthropology Days and document the development of American sports in the Philippines; from being handled by private organisations such as the YMCA and finally, the civil government of the Philippines. The events of 1904 did more than just portray the Filipinos in an inferior light. The continuity element of an exhibit complements the notion that the events showed the potential of the Filipinos towards adapting American sports. Furthermore, to the American colonialists, the events revealed the applicability of American sports in regard to the colonialism of the Philippines. Through these developments, the identity of sports in the Philippines transforms from that of leisure to national glory during the 1928 Olympics.