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History of Philippines

An archipelago of about 7,641 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. 6 eras, 1405 to today.

Sultanate of Sulu, 1405–1915 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Moro had an independent state known as the Sultanate of Sulu, which was politically and economically centered on Jolo. It was a Sunni Muslim Tausūg state that ruled the Sulu Archipelago, coastal areas of Zamboanga City, and certain portions of Palawan in today's Philippines. The sultanate gained its independence from the Sultanate of Brunei in 1578. Its sovereign political powers were relinquished by 1915 through an agreement known as the Carpenter Agreement, which was signed with the United States of America.

Seat of power: Maimbung

Rulers

Captaincy General of the Philippines, 1565–1898 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Captaincy General of the Philippines was an administrative district of the Spanish Empire in Southeast Asia governed by a governor-general. It was founded in 1565 with the first permanent Spanish forts. In 1821, following the independence of the Mexican Empire, all control was transferred to Madrid. It was succeeded by the short-lived First Philippine Republic following its independence through the Philippine Revolution.

Seat of power: Manila

Rulers

First Philippine Republic, 1899–1901 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Philippine Republic, retroactively known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic, was an unrecognized state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. Emilio Aguinaldo was its inaugural president. It was not recognized by any foreign power, but remained a de facto government. Aguinaldo was captured by the American forces on March 23, 1901, in Palanan, Isabela, and he declared allegiance to the U.S. on April 19, 1901, effectively ending the Philippine Republic.

Seat of power: Malolos

Rulers

Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, 1901–1935 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Insular Government of the Philippine Islands was an unincorporated territory of the United States that was established upon ratification of the 1898 Treaty of Paris. In 1902, the United States Congress passed the Philippine Organic Act, which organized the government and served as its basic law. This act provided for a governor-general appointed by the president of the United States, as well as a bicameral Philippine Legislature with the appointed Philippine Commission as the upper house and a fully elected, Filipino lower house, the Philippine Assembly. The 1902 Philippine Organic Act was replaced in 1916 by the Jones Law, which ended the Philippine Commission and provided for both houses of the Philippine Legislature to be elected.

Seat of power: Manila

Rulers

Commonwealth of the Philippines, 1935–1946 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was an unincorporated territory and commonwealth (dependency) of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the Tydings-McDuffie Act to replace the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands and was designed as a transitional administration in preparation for full Philippine independence. A period of exile took place during World War II from 1942 to 1945, when Japan occupied the Philippines. The Commonwealth officially ended on July 4, 1946, as the Philippines attained full sovereignty as provided for in Article XVIII of the 1935 Constitution.

Seat of power: Manila

Rulers

Republic of the Philippines, 1946 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, and became entwined with the 1898 Spanish-American War. After the United States retook the Philippines from the Japanese, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Since then, the country experienced a period of martial law from 1972 to 1981 under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and his subsequent overthrow by the People Power Revolution in 1986.

Seat of power: Manila

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.