19 Century RIZAL

• Our personalities are shaped not only by genetics, but also by a multitude of experiences and events that are interwoven throughout our lives
• Rizal was born in the 19th century, a time marked by significant changes in the world
• Rizal grew up amidst the Philippines' struggle for independence and the shifting social, economic, cultural, and political landscape of the time
• These changes played a role in shaping Rizal's perspective in life
• 19th Century

  • Marked a significant shift towards modernity
  • Part of the Age of Revolution
• Industrial Revolution

  1. New modes of production, transportation, and communication

  2. Shift from manual labor to machine-based production

  3. Transformation of economy and society

  4. New forms of work and leisure

  5. Urbanization and growth of cities
• Political Revolutions

  1. American Revolution

  2. French Revolution

  3. Influenced by the Enlightenment

  4. Challenged power of monarchy

  5. Paved way for new forms of governance based on individual rights, nationalism, and freedom
• Spain was experiencing a slow decline while other parts of Europe were flourishing
• Manila-Acapulco Trade or Galleon Trade


  Trade monopoly that made Manila the center of commerce in the East
• Goods traded in Galleon Trade

  • Mangoes
  • Tamarind
  • Rice
  • Carabao
  • Chinese tea
  • Textiles
  • Fireworks
  • Perfume
  • Precious stones
  • Tuba (coconut wine)
• Flora and fauna brought to the Philippines

  • Guava
  • Avocado
  • Papaya
  • Pineapple
  • Horses
  • Cattle
• Factors contributing to the decline of Galleon Trade

  • Tough competition from other nations
  • Spain's heavy dependence on silver mines in colonies
  • Revolts in the New World
• The Galleon Trade was no longer sustainable and was ended by decree in the first decade of the 19th century
• The Philippines needed a new commercial purpose after the end of the Galleon Trade
• The Philippines became a supplier of raw materials for Western industries by utilizing underutilized land resources for cash crop agriculture
• Positive effects of the Industrial Revolution on the Philippines


  • Philippines opened for world commerce
  • Foreigners engaged in manufacturing and agriculture
  • Philippine economy became dynamic and balanced
  • Rise of new influential and wealthy Filipino middle class
  • People encouraged to participate in trade
  • Migration and increase in population encouraged
• The fast tempo of economic progress in the Philippines during the 19th century facilitated by Industrial Revolution resulted in the rise of a new breed of rich and influential Filipino middle class
• The Rizal family became one of the most affluent families in Calamba, enabling the Rizal children to have more time and focus toward education
• Racial hierarchy in the Spanish colonial period

  • Peninsulares (pure-blooded Spaniards born in Iberian Peninsula)
  • Creoles or Insulares (full-blooded Spaniards born in the colonies)
  • Mestizos (mixed native Filipino and any foreign ancestry)
  • Filipinos (persons native to the Philippine Islands)
  • Indios (the lowest class, viewed as inferior)
• Spanish blood was highly valued during the Spanish colonial era, and those with any trace of Indio blood were never considered social equals of pure-blooded Spaniards
• Obtaining higher/college education was difficult for those at the bottom of the racial hierarchy
• Wealthy families like the Rizals were able to send their children to study in prestigious schools during a period of relative prosperity
• Before 1863, the kind of primary education provided for the natives did not go beyond the parochial catechetical level
• Up to the 1860's, the most educated segment of the native population were the native secular priests
• Wealthy families like the Rizals were able to send their children to study in prestigious schools
• During a period of relative prosperity, many families were able to send their sons to Spain and Europe for higher studies
• The experience in Spain and Europe inspired them to form the Ilustrados, a group of educated natives who sought reforms
• Reform and assimilation were only seen by Rizal, del Pilar, and others as a first step towards eventual separation from Spain
• The spread of higher education among middle and lower-middle-class Filipinos, who could not afford to go abroad, played a crucial role in propagating the liberal and progressive ideas written about from Europe by Rizal or Del Pilar
• By 1866, the proportion of literate people in the Philippines was higher than in Spain
• The proportion of Filipino children attending school was also above average in European standards
• The reforms helped to undermine the foundations of the Spanish colonial regime and inspired a growing sense of national identity among Filipinos
• The Spanish colonial authorities did not treat brown-skinned Filipinos equally, despite the religion emphasizing equality among all people
• The court of justice in the Philippines was notoriously corrupt, and brown Filipinos were frequently treated unfairly
• Racial prejudice was widespread in the Philippines, and Filipinos were not allowed to organize assemblies or political meetings
• The Spanish colonial government in the Philippines was highly centralized and authoritarian, and it imposed strict social and political hierarchies, denying Filipinos basic political rights and freedoms
• The Church played a significant role in the state's proceedings, manipulating the indigenous people to comply with the state's laws as it saw fit
• The money collected from the natives was not used to improve their province, but rather for the self-betterment of the officials
• Rizal: '"I wanted to hit the friars since the friars are always making use of religion, not only as a shield but also as a weapon, protection, citadel, fortress, armor, etc., I was therefore forced to attack their false and superstitious religion in order to combat the enemy who hid behind this religion... God must not serve as shield and protection of abuses, nor must religion."'
• The British colonial masters were overthrown to gain independence and achieve the status of becoming a sovereign nation, which motivated people to follow suit