Luzon was the theater where the Spanish-American war was fought in the Philippines. The principal centers of Spanish defense during the war with at Manila, the capital, and at Cavite, both of which were located on Luzon, the largest and most important island in the Philippine archipelago. Admiral Patricio Montojo met the U.S. squadron led by Admiral George Dewey at Manila. Admiral Manuel de la C?mara sailed from Spain on June 16, 1898 with the Eastern Squadron to defend Luzon and its surroundings. Luzon, also, was the city where the Liga Filipina and the Katipunan began and drew most of their supporters.

Following the war, U.S. moderates argued for the retention of just the naval base at Manila Bay, but the Treaty of Paris gave the U.S. the entire Philippine Island chain as well.