The military conflict that resulted in the separation of the United States and the Philippines was the Philippine-American War. This conflict lasted from 1899 to 1902, following the U.S. acquisition of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War in 1898. Filipino nationalists, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, sought independence from the U.S. colonization, leading to violent confrontations. The war resulted in significant casualties and destruction and established U.S. control over the Philippines, but it also spurred debates about American imperialism and the rights of colonized peoples. Eventually, the Philippines would gain its independence in 1946.