The Philippine islands, 1493-1898 (Vol. 48, 1751-1765)

This volume details a tumultuous period in the Spanish Philippines from 1751 to 1765, presenting original documents on the political, economic, and religious conditions of the archipelago. It chronicles the missionary efforts of the Augustinian and Dominican orders, providing unique ethnological insights into the savage tribes of Central Luzón, such as the Italons and Negritos. The documents highlight the profound challenges to Spanish authority, including native insurrections caused by the usurpation of indigenous lands by friar estates, a widespread crisis of Moro pirate raids that devastated the Visayan Islands, and the loss of the Acapulco galleon to the English. The volume also covers the controversial attempts at reform by Governor Arandía and concludes with the crucial 1765 memorial by royal fiscal Francisco Leandro de Viana. Viana's document provides a stark and detailed assessment of the colony's distressed state following the English invasion, arguing passionately for the development of the Philippines' natural resources as the necessary alternative to colonial abandonment.

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.). (1907). The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions (Vol. 48). The Arthur H. Clark Company.