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Primary sourcePhotograph23 March 1935

Signing of the Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth

U.S. Army photographer · 23 March 1935

A 1935 photograph of FDR signing the Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth with American and Philippine officials present.

FDR is shown signing the Philippine Commonwealth Constitution, a milestone in American colonial policy.

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Black-and-white photograph of a formal signing ceremony. Men in dark suits sit at a long table; a seated man at right holds a pen over a document while another man beside him looks on. Several men stand behind them in a row, some wearing glasses, with a potted plant visible at the back.
Signing the Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth, 23 March 1935.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken by a U.S. Army photographer on 23 March 1935, shows President Franklin D. Roosevelt seated at a table signing the Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth. Also present were Secretary of War George H. Dern, Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, Secretary of State Cordell Hull, and several other American and Philippine officials.

Why it matters

This signing marked a step toward self-government for the Philippines, then under American control. Roosevelt's approval of the constitution set the stage for the Philippine Commonwealth, an important moment in the long process of decolonization. The photograph shows the mix of American officials and Filipino leaders, such as Quezon and Roxas, who worked together on this transition.

Look closer

  • Who is seated and who is standing in this photograph, and what might that arrangement tell you about rank and roles?
  • Why would this ceremony be carefully staged and photographed?
  • What does this event reveal about the relationship between the United States and its colonies in the 1930s?

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