Spanish Accounts of the 1896 Philippine Revolution

 

On the eve of the Philippine revolution of 1896, wild rumors and exuberant expectations swept through colonial society. This paper looks at Spanish accounts of the revolution as part of a much larger crisis of address provoked by the emergence and discovery of secret societies. In particular, it inquires into the Spanish and Filipino fascination with the linguistic power of secret oaths to menace colonial hierarchy while mobilizing the revolutionary movement at the twilight of the Spanish regime. 

 

Vicente L. Rafael is professor of history at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is the author of Contracting Colonialism and White Love and other Events in Filipino History both published by Duke University Press.

 

Part of the CSEAS Colloquium Series on "Empire: The Southeast Asian Experience."