What was a significant reason why President McKinley and many Americans opposed granting independence to the Philippines after the Spanish-American War? Concerns over the racial and cultural superiority of the Filipino people Belief that Filipinos were incapable of self-governance and to prevent European influence on the islands Fear of Spanish retaliation against American interests in the Caribbean Desire to establish a cooperative economic alliance with the Philippines

The significant reason why President McKinley and many Americans opposed granting independence to the Philippines after the Spanish-American War was the **belief that Filipinos were incapable of self-governance and to prevent European influence on the islands.** This paternalistic and imperialistic view held that the United States had a duty to "civilize" and uplift the Filipinos, protecting them from other colonial powers who might seize the islands if the US withdrew. This rationale combined strategic interests (controlling a key location in the Pacific) with a sense of racial and cultural superiority.<br />