In July 1902 Congress passed the Philippine Government Act. The act declared that the Philippine Islands were not an organized territory, meaning that the Philippines was not a country and that the United States had the right to establish a government for the islands. The Philippine Government Act allowed President Theodore Roosevelt to appoint a governor and form a bicameral, or two-house, legislature for the Philippines. The United States chose the members of the upper house, and the Filipinos elected the members of the lower house. Roosevelt appointed William Howard Taft as the first governor of the Philippines. The Philippine Islands were vital for protecting U.S. trade and military interests in the region. For these reasons, the United States wanted to ensure that a stable government was formed there. Once established, the United States promised to allow greater autonomy, or self-government, for the Filipino people. In 1916 Congress passed the Jones Act to partially fulfill the promise.
