The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 (Vol. 37, 1669-1676)

This volume is part of a monumental historical series compiling translated, contemporaneous documents detailing the history of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. Volume XXXVII specifically covers the years 1669–1676, and includes missionary chronicles from 1641–1670. The documents offer a comprehensive look at the religious life in the islands, detailing the activities and challenges faced by the Dominican and Augustinian missions, including the establishment of new mission villages and the arrival of missionary reënforcements. The volume also captures a period of intense political instability, most notably the controversial 1668 arrest of Governor Diego de Salcedo by the Commissary of the Inquisition and the resulting usurpation of power by Auditor Bonifaz. Secular accounts within the compilation illuminate the oppressive practices of forced labor on native populations for shipbuilding, the economic ruin caused by repeated galleon shipwrecks, and the overall social and political struggles of the Spanish administration in Manila during the mid-seventeenth century.

The book is considered valuable. It is advised that researchers use digital copy rather than physical books for preservation purposes. APA Citation: Blair, E. H., & Robertson, J. A. (Eds.). (1906). The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Vol. 37. 1669-1676. The Arthur H. Clark Company. (Note: While the publisher's name is not on the retrieved cover pages, The Arthur H. Clark Company is the historically correct publisher for this specific series to provide a complete and accurate APA citation.)