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24 chapters
PREFATORY NOTE.
PREFATORY NOTE.
The history of the Philippine Islands is little known to its people to-day, for the records are few and not easy of access. Just at the present time this knowledge is especially necessary to the Filipino people. A knowledge of the conditions of the past is of the greatest importance to a people desirous of planning wisely and well for the future. “The Story of the Philippines” aims to teach Filipino young people the salient facts regarding the past of their country, and, besides this, it points
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KEY TO PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES.
KEY TO PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES.
A double dot under a vowel in an unaccented syllable indicates that its sound is almost that of the short u in but , tub , etc.̤ū as ̤ä in America , ̤e in prudent , ̤i in charity , ̤o in actor , ̤ē in the book , ̤ū in nature ....
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Chapter I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE ISLANDS.
Chapter I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE ISLANDS.
When Christopher Columbus (kris´to fer kō-lum´bus) discovered America, in the year 1492, he set all Europe talking about the unknown lands that lay beyond seas. At that time little was known of geography. Most people believed that the world was flat, and that if a man were to reach the edge he could jump off into space. Some people thought, too, that this great, flat earth rested on the backs of four huge tortoises, and that the movements of these creatures caused earthquakes. Sailors believed t
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Chapter II. EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Chapter II. EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
In the month of September, 1522, a few weeks over three years after Magellan’s proud fleet sailed from San Lucar de Barrameda, in Spain, a single ship put into that port. She was seaworn and battered, with torn sails, and timbers warped and scarred by many a storm. The people hailed her with joy, and everywhere in Spain men were glad when they heard of her safe home-coming. This ship was the Victoria , commanded by Captain Juan Sebastian del Cano (sā bäs´tē än del kä´nō), a statue of whom now st
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Chapter III. THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Chapter III. THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Before we go farther with this story of the Philippines, let us look, for a little while, at the country itself, and the people who live in it. Men who are wise in science tell us that there must have been in the Pacific Ocean, some thousands of years ago, a great body of land that has now sunk out of sight. We do not know when it sank; but after it did so there must have been, one after another, a great many volcanic eruptions that broke up the sunken continent into smaller tracts of land. Many
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Chapter IV. EARLY TROUBLES.
Chapter IV. EARLY TROUBLES.
Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Mexico became independent of Spain, the Philippine Islands were governed for Spain by that country. This worked great hardship in the islands. Mexico herself was a dependency of Spain, and so the Philippines really became a dependency of a dependency. All laws for the country were made in Mexico, and in this way the islanders were removed one step farther from the foreign ruler who was their king. The High Court of Mexico appointed the governor
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Chapter V. BEGINNINGS OF STRIFE.
Chapter V. BEGINNINGS OF STRIFE.
For the first two hundred years, as we have said, the Spanish colony in the Philippines was governed from Mexico. A Supreme Court, or Audencia, like that of Mexico, was set up in Manila. This court tried cases and settled law questions for the whole archipelago. The Mexican code of law was in force here, and the officials in the islands tried to make the government as much as possible like that of Mexico. This, however, was a very different country from Mexico. The Filipinos were a very differen
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Chapter VI. COLONIAL WARS AND DIFFICULTIES.
Chapter VI. COLONIAL WARS AND DIFFICULTIES.
From now on trouble came thick and fast upon the Spanish colony in the Philippines. Some of it was due to the wild and troubled times through which all the civilized world was passing, but most of it was caused by the short-sighted folly of the home government. In 1599, when Antonio Morga (än tō´nē ō mor´gä) was governor-general, the first real attempt was made to occupy Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. For this purpose an expedition started from Manila under the leadership of Estevan Roderigu
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Chapter VII. THE SPANISH AND THE FILIPINOS.
Chapter VII. THE SPANISH AND THE FILIPINOS.
At the time when Spain took the Philippine Islands and began to rule them, every country in Europe was busy setting up colonies in the newly discovered parts of the world. If the king owed something to a troublesome subject, or wished to reward or please a favorite, an easy way to pay the debtor or help the favorite was to make him a governor or other official in some far-off new colony. In turn the governor thought it only fair to make his colony as profitable to the Crown as he could. That he
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Chapter VIII. A NEW BEGINNING.
Chapter VIII. A NEW BEGINNING.
The story of the colony at this time is a sad one. Bad management, dishonesty, and cruelty at last brought the country to such a pass that both Mexico and Spain were weary. The king even thought of giving up the colony, hopeless of ever receiving any benefit from it. The islands were a drain upon the treasury rather than a help to it, and it looked as if things would never be any better. In the year 1653, however, a new beginning was planned. The country was to be given another chance. To this e
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Chapter IX. TRADE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Chapter IX. TRADE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
The Spanish galleons which used to sail the Pacific Ocean between Manila and Mexico have been the subject of many a romance. The world never tires of reading the stories written about them. They seem to belong to the age of romance and poetry. The galleons come, however, pretty close to modern times. The last one left Manila for Mexico in 1811, and the last one for Manila sailed from Acapulco in 1815. These ships were in shape something like a half-moon. They were very high at bow and stern, sho
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Chapter X. THE ISLANDS UNDER ARANDIA’S RULE.
Chapter X. THE ISLANDS UNDER ARANDIA’S RULE.
It was while Pedro de Arandia was governor-general that the famous overflow of Taal volcano took place. At that time the crater of Taal was torn open so that it measured more than a mile and a half across, and from this awful opening poured down a broad stream of melted lava, killing and destroying everything that it touched. It rushed down the side of the mountain and fell hot and hissing into the lake. Great clouds of steam arose from the heated waters, and such a shower of ashes and stones fe
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Chapter XI. BRITISH OCCUPATION.
Chapter XI. BRITISH OCCUPATION.
In the latter part of the year 1761 war was begun between Spain and France on the one hand, and England on the other. Spain and France were first to declare this war, but England carried on her part in it with great vigor. The English took Havana, and an English fleet under Admiral Cornish (k̤or´nish) was sent to the Pacific with orders to take the Philippine Islands. With a fleet of thirteen vessels Admiral Cornish entered Manila Bay on the evening of September 22, 1762. The ships anchored off
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Chapter XII. TO THE END OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
Chapter XII. TO THE END OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
While the British were in Manila, and for several years after they left the country, the islands were very unquiet. There were many small uprisings among the people, who hoped, in this time of unrest, to gain some of the rights which they felt were theirs. One of these uprisings was led by a native named Silan (sē´län). This man was not quite sane, and made many pretensions, such as that he was the earthly representative of divine power. Many of Simon de Anda’s followers deserted him to join Sil
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Chapter XIII. THE CONSTITUTION OF 1812.
Chapter XIII. THE CONSTITUTION OF 1812.
In the year 1800, Spain, while still a proud nation, was no longer a powerful one. In earlier centuries she had led the world in commerce, in the arts, and in science. She had known wise and far-sighted rulers, and her scholars had been among the greatest in the world. Europe, when any new enterprise was talked of, waited for Spain to take the lead in action regarding it. But, little by little, Spain fell behind other countries in the march of progress. Other nations improved their navies and th
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Chapter XIV. CHANGES IN THE ISLANDS.
Chapter XIV. CHANGES IN THE ISLANDS.
Don Juan Antonio Martinez was governor-general of the Philippines from 1822 to 1825. During his term of office he had much to contend with, both from the foes of the people and from the foes of Spain. It was during his rule that the Constitution of 1812 was done away with. The revolt headed by Captain Novales was no sooner quelled than danger again threatened from the pirates of Sulu. These came against Manila, and so daring had they grown that they even captured and carried away the Padre-Provi
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Chapter XV. EFFORTS TO KEEP PEACE.
Chapter XV. EFFORTS TO KEEP PEACE.
The situation in the archipelago was now very grave indeed, and the authorities in Manila began to see that something must be done to meet the ever-growing discontent of the people. A little more liberty given at this time might have changed that discontent to gratitude. If the people could have believed that the Spaniards desired their good, they might have worked with the Europeans for the benefit of the whole country. But there was lack of trust and understanding on both sides, and because of
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Chapter XVI. THE INSURRECTION AT CAVITE.
Chapter XVI. THE INSURRECTION AT CAVITE.
In 1872 took place what is now known as the Cavite insurrection. This uprising had in itself no real importance; it only gained importance because of the attention which was paid to it. The cause of the revolt was the desire of the people for native priests. There was a party among the native clergy whose leaders were demanding that the friars should be forbidden to act as parish priests, and should be made to give up certain benefits to which they were not entitled. The native party had some ri
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Chapter XVII. THE UPRISING OF 1896.
Chapter XVII. THE UPRISING OF 1896.
When the Jesuits left Manila in 1768, the missions which they had founded were given to the Recoletos. In 1859 the Jesuits came back to the islands. These missions, for which the Society had worked so hard in years gone by, were returned to it, and other places were made for the Recoletos. This was done at the expense of the native priests, and the people resented it. The feeling was growing among them that the native clergy were not fairly treated, and the installing of friars in their places i
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Chapter XVIII. THE END OF SPANISH RULE.
Chapter XVIII. THE END OF SPANISH RULE.
One of the first things that General Primo de Rivera did after his arrival, for the second time, in the islands, was to issue a proclamation offering amnesty to all who would lay down their arms. Many of the Filipinos who were in revolt accepted the offer, and pledged allegiance to Spain. They were driven to this step by their fears. The Filipino forces were weakened and discouraged. General Polavieja had carried on the campaign against them with such savage cruelty that the people were filled w
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Chapter XIX. THE BEGINNING OF AMERICAN OCCUPATION.
Chapter XIX. THE BEGINNING OF AMERICAN OCCUPATION.
In the month of April, 1898, war was declared between the United States and Spain. The cause of this war was the feeling of the people of the United States in regard to the way in which Spain was treating the people of Cuba and Porto Rico. These were the only colonies left of the many Spain had once possessed in the New World. For years Spain had oppressed and ill-treated the Cubans until human nature could no longer bear such bitter injustice, and the people rose against it. Spain poured her ar
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Chapter XX. CIVIL GOVERNMENT FOR THE PHILIPPINES.
Chapter XX. CIVIL GOVERNMENT FOR THE PHILIPPINES.
The United States is often spoken of as a free country. Its people are free because they have a voice in the making and upholding of their government. There are strong laws in the land to protect their freedom. No man and no state can be really free without such laws. If a man would enjoy liberty, and freedom from the power of evil, he must obey the laws of goodness. So a people must honor and uphold the laws of the state, if the state is to be strong enough to protect their liberties. We can ea
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Chapter XXI. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO.
Chapter XXI. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO.
One of the things which history should teach us is how to make the future better than the past has been. History teaches people about the brave deeds done by their ancestors, and about what has been suffered for the good of the land by those who have passed away. It is well for a people to consider from time to time what manner of country theirs has been. Only by doing this can they know how to serve its interests, and to secure for it the best future that is possible. For the Philippine Islands
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Chapter XXII. THE FUTURE.
Chapter XXII. THE FUTURE.
We have now learned something of the different islands of the Philippine archipelago and of the possibilities that lie in them. Much has been done in the past to make this country a source of income to the Spanish crown; much, however, remains to be done, to make of the islands a country whose prosperity shall help the people themselves. The wealth of a country is not to be estimated by the amount of its exports, or by the number of its great buildings, fine harbors, or splendid cities. A nation
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