What happened at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898?

The Battle of Manila Bay, fought on May 1, 1898, was a decisive naval engagement during the Spanish-American War that resulted in the total destruction of the Spanish Pacific fleet by the U.S. Navy.12

Under the command of Commodore George Dewey, the U.S. Asiatic Squadron entered Manila Bay on the night of April 30. The following morning, Dewey engaged the Spanish fleet anchored near Cavite. After issuing the famous command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," American ships made repeated passes along the Spanish line, sinking or destroying all Spanish warships with negligible damage to the American fleet.13

This victory effectively ended Spanish naval power in the region and signaled the beginning of the end for Spanish rule in the Philippines. Following the battle, the United States moved to occupy the area, while Filipino independence leader Emilio Aguinaldo renewed his struggle against Spain. The resulting power vacuum and the subsequent U.S. presence led to the Philippine-American War, which lasted until 1902.13