This book is a significant primary source documenting the final years of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. Written by Joseph Earle Stevens, an American merchant and "ex-resident of Manila" who lived in the islands from 1893 to 1895, it provides a candid, journal-style narrative of daily life, social customs, and commerce (particularly the hemp trade) in the capital and surrounding provinces. The book's publication in 1898, coinciding with the conclusion of the Spanish-American War and the cession of the Philippines to the United States, makes it a valuable artifact for understanding the transitional political and cultural environment of the era. Stevens offers an American perspective on the Spanish regime and includes observations on Filipino life just before the American colonial period began.
Yesterdays in the Philippines