Made in the U.S.A.: The American Influence on A Brief History of the Philippines

In 1919, Boston-based Ginn and Co. published the first history textbook about the Philippines written by a Filipino. The book, written in English, was A Brief History of the Philippines. Its commissioned author was Leandro Fernandez, a Filipino who obtained his graduate degree in history in the United States. The textbook was printed and exported to Manila for the use of seventh graders in public schools throughout the Philippines. It was adopted as a textbook primarily through the efforts of Hugo Miller, the publisher’s American representative in the Philippines. It was also sold at bookstores owned by the Philippine Education Co., which was established by Americans and had the largest book distribution network in the Philippines for many decades. The original edition was followed by revised versions in 1932 and 1951.
Today, very few Filipinos will recognize the title of the book or any of the names of individuals or companies associated with the book’s publication. The textbook has also been largely forgotten in studies of Philippine historiography, many of which focus primarily on the text of so-called important history books that had very limited print runs, and were bought or read by even fewer Filipinos. This paper will examine the key role played by Americans in the book’s publication in the context of the rise of Filipino nationalism and the advent of American rule in the Philippines, especially the establishment of its educational system, the adoption of English as the medium of instruction and the development of its publishing industry. It will argue that evidence related to a history book’s publication and distribution—and not just its text—must be examined to determine a book’s significance in Philippine historiography.