The Sultan of Bayan Visiting Camp Vicars, Mindanao, c1902-1903 - National Archives
PORTIONS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE NOT YET COMPLETED
This is an open web site for anyone seeking to learn about the forgotten history of the United States and the Moros, the Muslims of the southern Philippine Islands; although it is primarily intended as a supplement for readers of the book MOROLAND 1899-1906: America's First Attempt to Transform an Islamic Society.
Released October 1, 2007. The first of two books which narrate the story of the American relationship with the Islamic peoples of the islands of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago in the first two decades of the 20th century. Following a relatively peaceful beginning, the Moros eventually reacted to American intentions to "civilize" and modernize a culture steeped in the tenets of Islam for half a millennium with stubborn resistance. They perceived what the Americans believed as a selfless and progressive mission, as a deliberate attack, not just on their ruling hierarchy, but on their religion and way of life. The result was a continuing, never-ending series of insurgencies. The constant stream of battles and expeditions that occurred over the next ten years became known in U.S. Army history as the “Moro Campaigns.” In violence and ferocity they equaled, if not surpassed, the much better-known late-19th Century Indian Wars of the Great Plains.
The introduction of the famed Kodak “Brownie” camera and paper-based film in 1900 put photography in the hands of ordinary people. It became instantly popular among American soldiers and civilians in the Philippines, who en masse and armed with this new device produced an abundant and rich source of images. Rather than including photographs in the book itself, which would limit the number and compromise the quality, this portion of the web site makes available an extensive photo library of the principal figures, peoples, and events of the American period in Moroland.
This section features related maps, some contemporary and some historic, related to the period.
By and large this is what was left "on the cutting room floor" from the editing process of getting the book down to a reasonable size. These "snips" have been made into short articles. Particular attention is drawn to "McKinley's Ghost", which explores the chain of political decisions and events that propelled the U.S. to radically alter a foreign policy which had served the republic well since its inception more than a century earlier. Of interest to many military history buffs may be "The Legend of the Colt 45 Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros."
WEB LINKS
TO BE IMPLEMENTED
RECOMMENDED READING LIST
TO BE IMPLEMENTED
CONTACT US: General Inquiries or Comments **** Tumalo Creek Press **** Webmaster