Journal Article

Evidence for the deliberate distortion of the Spanish Philippine colonial historical record in The Philippine Islands 1493–1898

Cano, Glòria

2008

Overview

The Philippine Islands 1493–1898 was a compilation of documents translated from the Spanish and edited by Emma H. Blair and James A. Robertson. The former was the brains behind the project. The editors received assistance from a reviewer, one James A. LeRoy, who introduced himself as an expert in Philippine matters. The personal correspondence amongst the three persons showed how The Philippine Islands 1493–1898 was constructed. Blair fully trusted LeRoy's knowledge and consulted him with doubts about translation. In turn, LeRoy advised Robertson to select documents for publication and warned him about unreliable Spanish, Filipino and English scholars. The correspondence helps to explain how The Philippine Islands 1493–1898 developed into a political tool in the service of the United States in order to explain the problems the Americans confronted in their new colony – a Spanish inheritance and the difficulties of training uneducated Filipinos for self-government.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Subject: Appointments & personnel changes / Archipelagos / Asian history / Blair, Emma H / Colonialism / Colonies / Colonization.(colonial history and chronicles) / Correspondence / Deceit / Distortion / Documents / English language / Errors, inventions, etc / Ethnology / Evaluation / Friars / Governors / Historic documents / Historical analysis / Historical Development / Historical inaccuracies / Historical source materials / Historiography / History / Inheritance / Inheritance and succession / International relations-US / Islands / LeRoy, James A / Libraries / Myth / Oppression / Ordinances / Philippine history / Philippines / Philippino / Primary literature / Publishing / Robertson, James A / Sources and methods / Southeast Asian cultural groups / Spain / Spanish language / Translation / Translations / U.S.A / United States history