 On January 1, 1899, following the brief Negros Revolution in November 1898, the Federal Republic of Negros was proclaimed either as a sovereign state or a canton with two provinces.Notice of its establishment was sent to General Aguinaldo.The Republic was surrendered to U.S. forces on March 4, 1899, following the outbreak of hostilities between the nascent First Philippine Republic and the U.S. military government which had been established during the Spanish-American War, and came under U.S. protection on April 30, 1899 as a separate state from the rest of the Philippine Islands.