Philippine History: Pre-Colonial Era, Spanish Colonization, and Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering pre-colonial Filipino society, primary source analysis, Spanish colonization, the Propaganda Movement, and the Philippine Revolution.

History

The study of past events, particularly human affairs, through analysis of available evidence.

Philippine History

The recorded events that shaped the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the present.

Primary Sources

First-hand accounts from the past, such as documents, artifacts, oral traditions, and archaeological findings, that help historians interpret events correctly.

Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The oldest known written document in the Philippines (900 CE), written on a copper sheet in Kawi script, recording the debt forgiveness of Namwaran of Tondo.

Boxer Codex

A 16th-century manuscript created around 1590 containing over 75 illustrations and written descriptions detailing pre-colonial Filipino and Southeast Asian cultures.

Doctrina Christiana

The first book ever printed in the Philippines (1593), produced using wooden blocks in Spanish and Baybayin script to teach Catholic doctrines.

C-R-I-S-P

An acronym guiding the critical analysis of primary sources: Check the Source, Recognize the Audience, Investigate the Content, Situate in History, and Point out the Significance.

Barangay

Small, independent pre-colonial Filipino settlements governed by a datu.

Maginoo

The highest social class or ruling class in the pre-colonial Philippines, consisting of datus, rajahs, sultans, and their families.

Timawa

Free commoners in pre-colonial Filipino society positioned below the Maginoo but above the Alipin, who participated in agriculture, trade, and warfare.

Alipin

The lowest social class in pre-colonial Philippines, consisting of debt-bonded workers or servants divided into Aliping Namamahay and Aliping Sagigilid.

Aliping Namamahay

A class of Alipin who lived independently, worked for masters, and could not be sold.

Aliping Sagigilid

A class of Alipin who lived directly with their masters and held fewer rights, often due to debt, punishment, or war status.

Babaylan

Pre-colonial shamans who acted as healers, advisers, and cultural custodians, performing spiritual rituals and healing ceremonies.

Balangay

An ancient Filipino seafaring vessel made of hardwood and wooden pegs used for trade and migration, which inspired the word "barangay".

Maritime Jade Road

An ancient trade network connecting the Philippines, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia from 2000 BCE to 1000 CE, primarily trading Taiwanese jade.

Baybayin Script

An ancient Filipino alphasyllabary script with 17 characters (14 consonants and 3 vowels) used before and during early Spanish colonization.

Ferdinand Magellan

A Portuguese explorer sailing under the Spanish flag who arrived in the Philippines in 1521, making the first European contact with the islands.

Battle of Mactan

A historical conflict on April 27, 1521, in which Ferdinand Magellan was killed by local chieftain Lapu-Lapu and his warriors.

Miguel López de Legazpi

Spanish explorer who established the first permanent Spanish settlement in Cebu in 1565.

Encomienda System

A Spanish colonial policy granting settlers the right to collect tribute from indigenous populations in exchange for protection and religious teaching.

Mestizos

Individuals of mixed Spanish and Filipino ancestry who held high social positions under the Spanish colonial hierarchy.

Galleon Trade

A historic trade network linking Manila and Acapulco that enabled international trade between the Philippines, Mexico, and other global regions.

Dagohoy Rebellion

A long-lasting Filipino uprising against Spanish colonial abuses from 1744 to 1829.

Folk Catholicism

A syncretic religion in the Philippines resulting from blending Catholic doctrines with indigenous beliefs and traditional practices like using anting-anting.

Gomburza

Fathers Mariano Gómez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed on February 17, 1872, for alleged support of the Cavite Mutiny, inspiring Filipino nationalism.

Propaganda Movement

A peaceful reform campaign in the 1880s led by educated Filipinos seeking political equality, freedom of speech, and representation in the Spanish Cortes.

Ilustrados

Educated, middle-class Filipinos during the late 19th century who spearheaded peaceful reform efforts against Spanish colonial abuses.

Graciano López Jaena

A Filipino journalist and orator who founded the Propaganda Movement's main reformist publication, La Solidaridad, in 1889.

La Solidaridad

The flagship newspaper of the Propaganda Movement, created in 1889 to expose colonial injustices and advocate for Philippine reforms.

Marcelo H. del Pilar

A prominent journalist who edited Diariong Tagalog and later succeeded López Jaena as editor of La Solidaridad in 1890.

José Rizal

An influential reformist author of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo who established La Liga Filipina in 1892 before his exile to Dapitan.

La Liga Filipina

A reformist organization established by José Rizal in 1892 to unite Filipinos in seeking non-violent political and social changes.

Andres Bonifacio

Known as the "Father of the Philippine Revolution," he founded the Katipunan in 1892 to achieve independence from Spain through armed revolution.

Katipunan

A secret revolutionary society founded by Andres Bonifacio in 1892 dedicated to overthrowing Spanish colonial rule through direct armed action.

Emilio Aguinaldo

A revolutionary military leader who fought against Spain and became the first president of the First Philippine Republic (1899–1901).