1898–1946: American occupation In 1898, the war between Spain and America broke out. Commodore George Dewey of the US Navy defeated the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay, following which the American army occupied Manila. The United States took possession of the Philippines under international law after the 1898 Treaty of Paris ended the war. The Philippine–American War followed in 1898 for three months, during which the American military fought and defeated the Philippine forces under Emilio Aguinaldo for control of the Philippines. After the Philippine–American War, the Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) independence movement continued the Spanish–Moro conflict, now against the United States occupation of the Philippines. The Sulu Archipelago was considered part of Islamic Moroland by the movement. World War II In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States in the Philippines and at Pearl Harbor, and the United States declared war on Japan as part of World War II. Japan conquered the Philippines in 1942, in the Philippines campaign (1941–1942). In 1944 the Allies' Philippines Campaign (1944–45) against the Japanese occupation began with the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Allied forces eventually drove the Japanese from the islands. 1946–present: Philippine Independence On 4 July 1946, the Philippines became an independent nation. The fortifications of Jolo remained in good state during the American occupation when its walls, gates, and the buildings within it were photographed. Early 20th century photographs of Jolo show a well-ordered town, neatly laid out in a grid of streets and blocks—characteristics of Spanish urbanism applied with a military rigidity. In the postwar years the walls degraded. Jolo suffered major destruction due to bombardment and fire during the military operations against the Moro Islamic independence forces in Jolo in 1973. , short stretches of degraded perimeter wall still exist, but are covered by buildings or are partially demolished to less than in height. Autonomy The archipelago was part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from 2006 until its abolition in 2008. Bangsamoro, officially known as the Autonomous Government of Bangsamoro (Filipino: Nagsasariling Pamahalan ng Bangsamoro), is a proposed autonomous political entity within the Philippines. The proposal is part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, a preliminary peace agreement signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government. Demographics See also Banguingui Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines References Further reading External links Landforms of the Celebes Sea Landforms of the Sulu Sea Archipelagoes