In the late 1890′s, right around the time Hendrik Schoonveld was born, America was fighting Spain in a battle over Cuban independence. The war ended in 1898, with a Cuban-American victory. The Americans then also had control of the Philippines. The Filipinos resented American rule, and revolted, killing over 4000 Americans, and tens of thousands of Filipinos. At about the time Hendrik came to the Americas, Panama was being officially recognized as an independent country, and the Panama Canal was being built, financed by America. When Henry arrived, America was in a Progressive movement, with progressives trying to make the U.S. more democratic and trying to reform the government. President McKinley was reelected as President in 1900, however, anarchist Leon Czolgosz assassinated him the next year. Hendrik came to America right after a wave of immigrants came pouring into the United States in 1900. By the time he arrived, more than 87 percent of the people living in Chicago were immigrants or the children of immigrants, and the population of Chicago had risen from 109,300 to 1,698,000 people. When Hendrik came, it was very crowded, and he had to be helped by a friend to find a house.