The 381 years of colonization made the Philippines too westernized socially and economically. The island nation of the Philippines was rich in natural resources from the beginning, but due to the practice of mercantilism, the island was violated culturally and economically for almost four centuries. Spanish colonization began with the settlement of San Miguel on the island of Cebu on February 13. , 1565. Miguel Lopez's expedition continues north, into Manila Bay; the three hundred years of oppression would begin here. Almost immediately, Spain did three things: it introduced Christianity, the Spanish code of law, and made very good use of the plethora of resources. They immediately introduced Catholicism to stop the spread of Islamic religions in this part of the world. They implemented civil codes in an attempt to create a moral compass among indigenous peoples. The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade was an extreme showcase of the profitability of mercantilism. In this trade, Spain primarily extracted silver from Mexico and other conquered territories in America. Spain then used the silver to trade silk from China, spices from Indonesia, furniture from Japan, and finally cotton from the Philippines. These products finally found their way to Spain. For the most part, it was a peaceful takeover with very little rebellion; At the time, the indigenous peoples of the Philippines did not have the firepower to compete with the Spanish army. The European world was in a craze for the creation of colonies; creating colonies was a way of showing nationalist pride and for Spain, Portugal and Italy, it was also a way of spreading the message of the papacy. Spain founded many missions and universities in the name of the Church. These sc...... middle of paper ......are a nation called the Philippines. In 1907, an elected Filipino assembly was inaugurated with the aim of serving the interests of the indigenous Filipinos. Economically, the Philippines made progress under American imperialism. Foreign trade increased from 62 million in 1895 to 601 million in 1920. On the social level, an American-style health system had been put in place; this health system reduces mortality rates from disease, murder and even natural causes. However, former rebels and rank-and-file members of oligarchic society turned to slavery, piracy, and headhunting; for sport and capital. A new education system was instituted with English as the dominant language. Members of the elected legislature were grateful but also pushed for full independence from the United States. We have now seen the full effect of America and Spain on the island nation of the Philippines..