Philippine Lives under Early Spanish Rule - Session 2

The study of Spanish Colonialism in the Pacific (1550-1800) has been revitalized in recent years, thanks to the efforts of scholars working in a variety of academic disciplines, at institutions across Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.

Thanks to this work, the Spanish Philippines, which were once dismissed as a distant periphery of a world centered on the Atlantic, are now understood as a crucial node in the global network of exchange that emerged during the early modern period. This symposium brings together some of the leading scholars responsible for the reinvigoration of colonial Philippine studies, along with prominent officials of the Philippine government charged with educating Filipinos about their history. As the Newberry Library represents one of the world’s foremost repositories of historical materials related to the Philippines, the symposium hopes to draw attention to the wealth of the library’s Philippine holdings, and to the ways that these materials can be used to understand Philippine lives under Spanish rule.

The keynote presentation will be given by Ambeth Ocampo, Senator Gil J. Puyat Professor, Ateneo de Manila University and Distinguished Professorial Lecturer, De La Salle University.

A Collaborative Humanities Project from the Princeton University Humanities Council. Co-sponsored by the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago and the University of Chicago.