9 h 34 minAudiobook12 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 9 h 34 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
How do scattered islands become a nation through centuries of trade, colonial rule, and resistance?
In A History of the Philippines, David P. Barrows traces the islands from their earliest peoples to the opening years of American rule. The story moves from bays and river plains to the arrival of Magellan and Legazpi, then through Spanish colonial life, expanding trade, and the growth of national feeling.
First published in 1905 as a school text, this survey brings a long history into one clear narrative. Friars shape village life, galleons carry goods across the Pacific, and reform gives way to revolt. Barrows writes as an American educator and colonial official, so his account also reveals the viewpoint and assumptions of his day.
What you’ll discover
- Islands before Spanish rule Begin with the land and diverse peoples who live here before European ships arrive.
- Colonial power in village life Explore how religious orders stand at the center of Barrows's account of Spanish rule.
- Silk, silver, and sea routes Follow Manila's galleon trade as Chinese goods cross the Pacific and silver returns.
- Reform becomes revolt Trace how world trade and growing national feeling form part of the path toward revolt.
- An official's revealing perspective Read early American rule through an account shaped by Barrows's own work in the islands.
Who will love it
Readers who love sweeping national histories, voyages of discovery and colonial rivalries will find a clear guide here. It also suits anyone curious about Filipino roots.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Ask how we know before you believe
- Waves of peoples built the Filipino nation
- Europe's hunger for spices opened the seas
- Magellan reaches the islands and dies at Mactan
- Before Spain, Filipinos traded, wrote and ruled locally
- Legaspi conquers the islands with few men
- Manila becomes a crossroads under heavy burdens
- Dutch rivals and Moro raiders drain the colony
- British capture, reform and revolution end Spanish rule
- American rule begins with war and new schools
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A History of the Philippines
by David P. Barrows · 1905
A Manila schoolbook of 1903 follows Magellan, Legaspi, Rizal and Aguinaldo from first contact to American rule.
Medium level5–10 hours to readfrançais
Excellent
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In short
What does it take to write the history of a country whose earliest records have vanished? David P.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Ask how we know before you believe
Barrows opens by telling his young readers how to read history. History exists only where credible written records exist. Chinese writings described the Philippines centuries before the Europeans came.
He asks every student to put one question to every claim: how do we know this? Writers of the past made mistakes, held biases and sometimes lied. So the historian must compare accounts and allow for prejudice. Pigafetta sailed with Magellan, and Chirino, Morga and Zuñiga wrote the early books on the islands.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 12 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1905
- Language
- français
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Barrows, David P. A History of the Philippines. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-history-of-the-philippines.
Barrows, D. P. (2026). A history of the Philippines. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-history-of-the-philippines (Original work published 1905)
Barrows, David P. A History of the Philippines. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-history-of-the-philippines.
@book{barrows2026history,
author = {Barrows, David P.},
title = {A History of the Philippines},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-history-of-the-philippines},
note = {First published 1905}
}
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What is A History of the Philippines by David Barrows about?
It surveys Philippine history from the earliest peoples through Magellan, Legaspi and three centuries of Spanish rule to the 1896 revolution and the first years of American government, written in 1903 for Filipino high school students.
When was the book written and who was it for?
Barrows finished it in Manila on March 1, 1903, at the suggestion of the educational authorities. It was meant as an introduction for students in the public high schools, so it is organized in short, clearly titled chapters.
Who were the Moros and why do they appear so often?
Moros is the name Spaniards gave to the Muslim Malays of Mindanao, Jolo and Borneo, taken from the Moors of Spain. Barrows follows their long conflict with Spain, including the sea raids on Visayan towns.
The author
David P. Barrows
1873–1954 · American anthropologist
David Prescott Barrows (1873–1954) was an American anthropologist and educator. He was born in Chicago and lived in the Philippines and California. He wrote A History of the Philippines, published in 1905. He served as president of the University of California from 1919 to 1923.
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