HIST 100 Submitted to: Esmeraldo S. Bustillo, Jr.

Rizal’s Life and Works September 24, 2021

First Semester (Tuesday, Thursday:11: 30 - 1: 00 pm) Submitted by: Alyssa Rose C. Amado.

This paper will tackle about the life of Rizal, what kind of world before Rizal’s was born. The different wars
and how many political parties have founded after those war. What kind of government does our world have in
Rizal’s time. Monarchial rulers. the liberalism and its revolution. To further understand the history of Rizal we will
answer the following questions that will rise up in this essay. The last but not the least, what kind of education does
Rizal have attain during those times.

“THE WORLD BEFORE AND AFTER RIZAL WAS BORN”

The City of Calamba (Lungsod of Calamba), is a 1st class component city in the

Province of Laguna, Philippines. In the early history of the oldest part of Calamba is believed to

be Barangay Sucol where its first settlers remained. With the arrival of Spaniards, the whole area

was converted into hacienda, then a part of Tabuco (present day – Cabuyao). Calamba became

independent pueblo on August 28, 1742, and formed into the town of Calamba in 1770. In 1813,

Calamba was placed in the hands of “encargados” (In - charge) by the Dominican brothers, who

divided into portions and sold the haciendas to the natives during the American regime.

Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Reolonda was born in 1861 June 19, in the town

of Calamba Laguna province. Jose had nine sisters and one brother. He is a timid and frail boy;

you can tell that he is a reserved and observant boy than a participant. He loves nature because

the place where he lived was full of beautiful scenery and grassland filled with tress. He admired

those enticing scenery with adoration and appreciation. It’s the same with the birds chirping and

flying back to the nest at evening. All living things in the world, he find it pleasing and intrigued

by it, that soon it develop a sense of love for the countryside and as he grow, it became the

appealing mark as if it was stitch within him and bloom as a natural artist that appreciate all

kinds of creation. He also developed an interest in botany and zoology which it became his

occupation and solace during his years in exiled. At the age of five Jose started sketching, when
Jose reach the age of 8 he wrote his first poem entitled Sa Aking mga Kabata (To My fellow

Children). He was a student in the Ateneo de Manila in 1876 when he was 15 years old. When he

was fifteen he also wrote a poem entitled In Memory of My Town (Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo).

History has so much secrets that never been exposed waiting for a chance to foretold and

make a history come to life. Rizal’s parents were indistinguishable from the myriads of the

Filipino families. Birthing to a new child gives excitement to the family in Calamba without

knowing what was stored for the child to bring change and history come to life. Rizal once wrote

about "my arrival in this valley of tears would have cost my mother her life had she not vowed to

the Virgin of Antipolo that she would take me on a pilgrimage to that shrine." It is credible to

content that the valley of tears was described as, our world the sad and cruel world we live in.

To better understand and appreciate Rizal’s effort, labor and sacrifices. Let’s dig further

about the times in which Rizal was born.

The world in the 19 th century there were three European states that held power of

sovereignty embracing the southern portion of Malaysia. These are Portugal, England, and

Holland. Great Britain England is the largest colonies in England. Hong Kong was a British

colony from 1841 – 1941. In 1997 British give back Hong Kong to China that was 24 years ago.

In 1887 the Malaysia became a colony of Britain. In Netherlands (Holland) the Dutch had

replaced the Portuguese in the 17th century as the colonial rulers in Malaysia. They introduced

the culture system. Which mean they made the natives cultivate coffee, sugar, tobacco and

spices. In 18th century it was the time Rizal was born. At that time the native dynasty was

founded by Gialong. France under Napoleon III was looking for opportunities to build up a

colonial empire. The execution of the Spanish Dominican bishop of Tongkin happens in 1857,

under the order of Emperor Tu Duc of Annam. Military operations were French began their
imperialism in Southeast Asia, within a few years, brought under the French control. Not only

the whole Vietnam, but also the ancient kingdoms of Cambodia and Laos, was brought under the

French control. And this happen at the time Rizal was born. 4 years before the birth of Rizal

(1857), the old Mogul empire in India had come to an end. The Sepoy soldiers of British Indian

Army staged a mutiny. After the rebellion and killing their officers, they hurriedly go to Delhi to

offer their loyalty to the Mogul emperor for the restoration of the Mogul empire but it didn’t end

well British weather the rebellion by the help of loyal Indian troops, they succeeded in putting

the fire out before it will spread. The land of the free (Thailand) is not a colony. The Eight

Nation Alliance refers to Britain, US, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy and Austria-

Hungary, they had an alliance to attack the china all at once. Land of the Rising Sun (Japan), the

shogunate ruled Japan during the feudal era about 8 years before Rizal was born. Daimyo were a

feudal lords , a leaders of powerful band of warriors and that is Samurai, they use katana as their

weapon to slaughtered enemies. When a Samurai failed to do his duty or betrayed their lords

they will commit Seppuku or Hara-Kiri, a ritual were they will end their life as a punishment.

Shogunate were a hereditary military leaders who were appointed by the emperor. Iyeyasu re-

organized the shogunate 250 years ago, at 1639-1853 – Japan was closed to the world. (214 years

ago). Japan was reopened again to the world by Commodore Matthew C. Penry. Commodore is a

naval officer of high rank. Raibatsu, a large Japanese business Conglomerate helps rebuild the

japan and rise from the mud.

United States in the 1860’s Jefferson Davis formed and led the Confederate States of

America. At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South

Carolina's Charleston Harbor. Less than 34 hours later, Union forces surrendered. Traditionally,

this event has been used to mark the beginning of the Civil War. After four bloody years of
conflict, the United States defeated the Confederate States. In the end, the states that were in

rebellion were readmitted to the United States, and the institution of slavery was abolished

nation-wide. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States during the Civil War.

Philippine in the 19 th Century, Laguna was one of the nine provinces in Luzon to have

given that status by the Provincial Reform of 1844. In 1820-30, Manila was opened to internal

trade. 11 years old when Jose went to Ateneo Municipal. His first Teacher was his Mother. Jose

had a tutor for five months, in the name of Leon Monroy. Who teach him Latin as his first

lesson, soon after Leon Monroy died, Jose’s parents send him to Binan to study under Maestro

Justiniano Aquino Cruz he stayed there for 2 years. Jose was not immediately accepted in Ateneo

for the reasons; He was late for enrollment and he was small for his age. Do you Rizal was a

Product of his time? Or Rizal was influenced by his time? Rizal was indeed a product of his time

from the beginning when Rizal was born he showcase his talent and passion about books, nature

and the eagerness to learn at a young age without anyone influencing his decisions.

Liberalism is the belief in the importance of individual liberty and equal rights,

regardless of the race, skin color and gender. There is what we call Variants of Liberalism which

are Classical Liberalism and Classical Liberalism. Classical Liberalism is a political ideology

and a branch of liberalism that advocates civil liberties under the rule of law with an emphasis on

economic freedom. It became popular in the 18th Century. Social Liberalism known as Modern

Liberalism or Reform Liberalism is a political ideology that seeks to find a balance between

individual liberty and Social Justice. Spain at the beginning of the 19 th Century (1800s), Spain

change, there are 2 form of government; Old Order and New Order. The Monarch rules by the

grace of God, legitimately a God on earth that is the Old Order. The people has the right to

remove the person who is ruling if that person is not working for the pleasure of the people. The
ruler rules by the will of the people that is the New Order. The New Order came from the French

Revolution in 1789, During July 14, 1789, The Fall of Bastille were the King Louis XVI and his

wife Marie Antoinette died. 1793-1794, The Reign of Terror started when King Louis XVI

execution. In Dec. 2, 1804 in Paris in Cathedral of Notre Dame where Napoleon Bonaparte was

coroneted and it is the start of The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the Iberian Peninsula but the Spaniards are determined to

fight for their rights. Napoleon engaged his army in a bloody guerilla warfare with the Spaniards

in order for them to win, because they don’t have enough weaponry to defeat the Spaniards in an

open war. In 1808-1812, The War of Independence left the nation in wreck, the navy was

destroyed the economy bankrupt, the industry had collapsed, and art treasures and historical

monuments were plundered by the invaders. About one million populations died because of this

conflagration. It downs to the result wherein the Spanish hated the French everything about

French and everything that the Revolution meant. After the War of Independence there are

several liberal reforms have emerge and this are Los Afrencesados, Ilustrados, Carlitas,

Progresistas, Krausist. In the minds of the Spaniards, Liberalism was another foreign version of

absolutism. In March 8, 1836, the Royal Order suppressed all convents existing in Spain’s

metropolitan territory and belonging to the Agustinians, Dominicans, and Recollects. In a year

later a law was passed that converted all church properties into state properties, most of them to

be sold in public auctions at bargain prices to liberal citizens. Why was the Church persecuted?

It’s because Churches represent backwardness, always interfering to stop change and the

dogmatic claims of the Catholic Church, this is one of the reasons why Spain remains a

backward nation.
 Understanding the word Semi Darkness into Light, Light represents as the education in

the old world which is Europe and Semi Darkness represent as the lack of proper education and

experience he attain. The year was 1882, Jose Rizal was 21 years old. He left the Philippines for

the first time in search of knowledge and wisdom in the old world. He graduated with the grade

of Sobresaliente in Ateneo. Claro M. Recto and Jose Rizal, this two is the only one who

graduated with excellence. The Mother of Rizal don’t want him to study college but Don

Francisco and Paciano who are more adamant that Jose will continue his studies. He matriculated

at University of Santo Thomas. Jose get two courses in UST which is Ophthalmology because of

the reason his mother was almost blind at that time and Philosophy & Letters it was a course for

aspiring writers. While in the Ateno Municipal De Manila get a course which is Geodetic

Engineering, he finishes this course in 2 years at the age of 18 years old. Jose hated UST because

of the discrimination happening just because he was an indio and came from the rival college of

UST and also his father was a tenant-farmer of the Dominicans in Calamba doesn’t mean they

can discriminate a person. Everyone is free to attain education to learn regardless of their races,

skin color and gender. After four years of studying in UST, Jose decided to continue his studies

in Spain. On May 11, unknown to his parents, most of his sisters and even Leonor does not know

that Jose left for Europe only Paciano knows. When Jose arrived in Barcelona, he did not like the

city at first because he landed at the ugly side of the city, but after sometime, he came to

appreciate the city. Madrid – Spain January 1884, Noli Me Tangere started. The painting of Luna

and Hidalgo both show the Injustice, Slavery and Political Reform. But the Philippines has come

of age and is ready to take the world, showcase their talent without anyone taking the credit.