The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898

The 55-volume set of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 is one of the largest collections of primary sources on the history of the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule.


Compiled, translated, edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James Robertson under the commission of the American colonial government, the collection was first printed in 1909 to provide the English-speaking world with information about the United States' new colony. The resulting compendium--comprised of more than 1,400 government documents, letters, manuscripts and archival material--is a striking example of "history told from above." Hounded by controversy from its inception and the subject of an exhaustive re-appraisal by contemporary scholars critical of its canonical status, the scope of The Philippine Islands still remains unmatched. However, it is also a significant example of how the history of the Philippines under Spain was selectively filtered to advance the cause of American colonial propaganda.