Although he never
finished high school, Andres Bonifacio was very
smart. He knew Spanish
and spoke a little English, which he learned while
working for the Fleming company. He read
foreign novels, as well as books about the French
revolution, politics, law, and religion. Books
opened his mind to new worlds. Andres learned that
common people had rights and that
freedom was a valuable thing to have. The Philippines
had been a colony ruled by Spain since
the sixteenth century. But the Filipino people did
not have the same rights as the Spaniards.
Inspired by new ideas, Andres began to dream that
a better life was possible for his fellow
Filipinos.
On July
3, 1892, a man named Jose Rizal started
a group
called La Liga Filipina. The group was made up mostly of Filipinos from the middle class. The educated middle class believed that Spain would grant much needed reforms if the Philippines were made a province of Spain and Filipinos became Spanish citizens. Bonifacio admired Rizal.
He had read his novels Noli Me
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Dr. Jose Rizal |