Background on the Socio-Political situation during Rizal’s times

The Filipinos were victims of the evils of an unjust, biased and deteriorating power.
Instability of colonial administration

1. Corrupt Colonial Officials

2. No Philippine Representation in Spanish Cortes
3. Human Rights denied to Filipinos
4. No equality Before the Law
5. Maladministration of Justice
6. Racial Discrimination
7. Frailocracy
8. Forced Labor
9. Haciendas Owned by the Friars
10. The Guardia Civil

Corrupt Colonial Officials

1. Gen. Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-1873). He ordered execution of GOMBURZA

2. Admiral Jose Malcampo (1874-1877). Good moro fighter but weak administrator.
3. General Fernando Primo de Rivera. Accepts bribes from gambling casinos which he permitted to
operate.
4. General Valeriano Weyler. Arrived in manila a poor man, and return to Spain millionaire
5. Genera Camilo de Polavieja. Hearltess Governor, detested by the Filipino people for executing
Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

No Philippine Representation in Spanish Cortes

-to win the support of the overseas colonies during the Napoleonic invasion, Spain granted them
representation in the Cortes (Spanish Parliament)

-Accordingly, The Philippines experienced the first period of representation in the Cortes from 1810 to
813

-Ventura delos Reyes - The First Philippine Delegate who took active part in the framing of the
Constitution 1812.

Human Rights denied to Filipinos

-since the adoption of Spanish Constitution of 1812 and other constitutions in succeeding years, the
people of Spain enjoyed freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association and other
human rights (except freedom of religion)
No Equality Before the Law

-mas mabibigat ang penalty para sa mga kayumanggi ang kulay, kaysa sa mga puti

Maladministration of Justice

Mas pinapaboran sa korte ang mga puti laban sa mga native Filipino, pag mas mayaman mas Malaki ang
pag asang Manalo sa korte, mabagal ang proseso

Racial Discrimination

-Mas pabor sa mga puti o Espanyol ang mga rights, samantalang limitado naman sa mga Filipino
-indios ang itinawag ng mga Spanish sa mga kayumanggi at flat-nosed Filipinos.

Frailocracy
Ang mga prayle ang nanguna sa mga pagtuturo sa simbahan at mga paaralan

Force Labor

-a.k.a polo,

Ang mga lalaking Pilipino ay sapilitang pinag tatrabaho sa pagtatyo ng mga paaralan, ospital, simbahan
at pagkumpuni ng mga kalsada

Haciendas owned by the friars

-Prayle ang nagmay-ari ng mga pinaka mayayamang agricultural lands sa ibat ibang panig ng pilipinas

Guardia Civil

-mga mapagsamantalang mga sundalong kastila, kinamkam nila ang mga ari arian at kabuhayan ng mga
Pilipino, at pinag sasamantalahan ang mga kababaihan

Europe in the 19th century

socio-economic, political and religious developments in Europe and their impact on the Philippines.

Dahil sa Europe mas nagging mabilis ang pag angat ng ekonomiya ng pilipinas dahil mataas ang demand
sa cash-crops, mas nagging produktibo ang pilipinas sa larangan ng trading.

Naapektuhan din ang estado ng edukasyon, mga prayle ang mga namamahala sa simbahan ang noon din
ay namamahala sa mga paaralan, ngunit ang mga mayayamang pamilya ay nagsimulang magpa aral ng
kanilang mga anak sa Europe, kung saan mas nagging mulat ang mga Pilipino sa mga nangyayari sa
sariling bansa, dito na rin nagsimulang magkaroon ng kaisipan na ibigin ang sariling bayan, doon nabuo
ang nasyonalismo ng mga Pilipino.
The 19th century is a century of change in Spain. The liberal movements and ideals that came from the
French Revolution at the end of the 18th century prompted the Spanish to fight for their rights. There
were many political movements from 1808 to the beginning of the 1900s, alternating between liberal
governments and absolutists one. It's also during this period that the First Spanish Republic took place,
although it was short lived. The 19th century set the foundation for further democratic and liberal
movement that would take place in Spain during the 20th century.

The French Revolution is the cause for the first liberal movements in Spain. 1808 is marked as the start
of the movement in Spain. The French had invaded the country and the Court was moved to Aranjuez in
case the royal family had to flee to America. At that moment, the king was Charles IV. Ferdinand VII, his
son, had been conspiring against him and Godoy to get to the throne.

The 17th of March of 1808, there was a popular uprising and Charles IV was forced to abdicate the
throne to his son Ferdinand VII. Ferdinand went back to court, without knowing that the French
troops had occupied Madrid the day before. The shunned king and queen went under Napoleon's
protection, and the French general agreed to meet Ferdinand, who thought the Frenchman wanted to
officially honor him as King of Spain. However, Napoleon tricked him and sent him to exile. The people
weren't too happy about this, and they stood up against the French. This began the War of Spanish
Independence of the 2nd of May of 1808.

Meanwhile, Napoleon had tricked Charles IV and Ferdinand VII into letting the Spanish throne go, and
gave it to his brother Joseph Bonaparte, turning him into Joseph I of Spain. During the War of Spanish
Independence, the Spanish liberal movements get together in the Cortes in to draw up a new
Constitution (1812). The new text will cause some difference between the liberals, because some of
them want to implement the new Constitution but the rest want to keep the Enlightened Despotism
that had been implanted during the reign of Ferdinand VII.

Classics Spanish Books - War of Spanish Independence

The War of Spanish Independence finished on 1814, with the victory of the Spanish troops. Joseph
Bonaparte gave the throne back to Ferdinand VII, who had suffered from humiliation during his exile
with Napoleon. His hatred towards the French made him dissolve the Cortes and abolish the new
Constitution. He also censored the press, banned the theatre and decreed that the liberals should be
persecuted and put in jail, so many of them went on exile.

Ferdinand died in 1833 and Isabella was proclaimed Queen of Spain while she was only 3 years old. Her
mother acted as a regent from 1833 to 1840, and General Espartero from 1841 to 1843, when Isabella II
ascended to the throne at the age of 13.