rChapter 13: Rizal’s Visit to the United States, 1888

 Rizal first saw America on April 28, 1888

 His arrival in this great country was marred by racial prejudice.

Arrival in San Francisco

 The steamer Belgic, with Rizal on board, docked at San Francisco on Saturday morning,
April 28, 1888
 The American health authorities placed the ship under quarantine for one week because
of the rumored cholera epidemic.
 He soon discovered that the placing of the ship under quarantine was motivated by
politics and was carrying 643 Chinese coolies.
 Rizal noticed that 700 bales of valuable Chinese silks were land without fumigation
 On Friday afternoon, May 4, 1888, the day he was permitted to go ashore, rizal
registered at the Palace Hotel, which was then considered a first-class hotel in the city.
 Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days - May 4 - 6, 1888.

Across the American Continent

 On May 6, 1888 - Sunday, 4:30 P.M. - Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland, nine miles
across San Francisco, by Ferry boat
 In Oakland, he boarded the train for his trip across the continent. He took his supper at
Sacramento for 75¢ and slept in his coach.
 On May 7, 1888, Rizal awoke and had a good breakfast at Reno, Nevada, now
glamourized by American high-pressure propaganda as “The Biggest Little City in the
World”.
 From May 7 to May 13, Rizal wrote in his diary the beautiful memories from Nevada,
Chicago until he reached Albany.

Rizal in New York

 On Sunday morning, May 13, Rizal reached New York

 He stayed three days in this city, which he called the “big town”.
 He visited the scenic and historic places and awed by the memorial of George
Washington.
 On May 16, 1888, Rizal left New York for Liverpool on board the City of Rome
 According to Rizal, the steamer City of Rome was “the second largest ship in the world”,
the largest being the Great Eastern”.
 Rizal’s good impression of America:
1. The material progress of the country as shown in the great cities, huge
farms, flourishing industries, and busy factories.
2. The drive and energy of the American people.
3. The natural beauty of the land.
4. The high standards of living.
5. The opportunities for better life offered to poor immigrants
CHAPTER 14: Rizal in London,1888 – 1889
After visiting the United States, Rizal lived in London from May 1888 - March 1889 (11 months).

Three reasons why he chose to live in London:

 To improve his knowledge of English language.

 To study & annotate Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas.
 London was a safe place for him to carry on his fight against Spanish tyranny.

Rizal engaged in:

 Filipiniana studies
 Completed annotating Morga's book
 Wrote many articles for La Solidaridad in defense of his people against Spanish critic
 Penned a famous letter "To the young women of Malolos"
 Carried voluminous correspondence with Blumentritt and relatives, and
 Romance with Gertrude Beckett

Trip across the Atlantic.

 Rizal was on board the "City of Rome".

 While on board, Rizal entertained the American and European passengers with his
marvelous skill of the yo-yo as a defensive weapon.
 Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England on May 24, 1888.
 He sepent his night at Adelphi Hotel.
 He also wrote to his family.

Life in London.

 On May 25, 1888 went to London

 He stayed as a guest at home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, and exile of 1872 and practicing
lawyer in London
 By the end of May, he was a boarder of the Beckett family
 Mr. Beckett, an organist at St. Paul Church. Mrs. Beckett, his wife. His three son's and four
daughters the eldest of the sister was Gertrude (Gettie/Tottie)
 Rizal came to know Dr. Reinhold Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
authority on Malayan Languages and Customs
 He called Rizal, "A pearl of a man" (una perla de hombre)
 Rizal spent of his time the British Museum

News from Home, Good and Bad.

 The bad news were injustices commits by Spanish authorities on the Filipino people and the
Rizal family.
  Among which were as follows: Persecution of Filipino patriots who signed the "Anti-Friar
Petition of 1888", Persecution of Calamba tenants including Rizal's family and relatives,
Furious attack on Rizal by Senators Salamanca and Vida, Rizal's brother in law Manuel T.
Hidalgo was exiled to Bohol without due process of Law, And a friend of Rizal Laureno Viado
was jailed in Bilibid prison because copies of "Noli Me Tangere" were found in his house.
 One good news cheered Rizal, and that was Rev. Vicente Garcia's defense of the Noli against
the attack of the friars.

Annotating Morga's Book.

 The greatest achievement of Rizal was annotating of Morga's Book, Sucesos De Los Islas
Filipinas which was publish in Mexico, 1609
 Rizal laboriously read the old histories of the Philippines written by Fr. Chirino, Fr. Colin, Fr.
Argensola, Fr. Plasencia etc.

Short Visit to Paris and Spain.

 Early September 1888, he visited Paris for a week

 He was entertained in this gay French metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife, Paz Prado de
Tavera
 On December 11, 1888, he went to Spain, visiting Madrid and Barcelona
 He met Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Mariano Ponce
 Rizal returned to London on December 24 and spent Christmas and New Year with the
Beckett Family
 He sent Christmas gifts to his friends: To Blumentritt: bust of Emperor of Augustus, To Dr.
Carlos Czepelak, a bust of Julius Caesar, To Rizal's landly, Mrs. Beckett a book entitled "The
Life and the Adventures of Valentine Vox, The Ventriliquist"

Rizal Became a Leader of Filipinas in Europe.

 Rizal learned that Filipinas in Barcelona were planning to establish a patriotic society. This
was called: Association La Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association) was inaugurated on
December 31, 1888 with following officers: Galiciano Apacible - President, Garciano Lopez -
Vice President, Manuel Santa Maria - Secretary, Mariano Ponce - Treasurer, Jose. Ma
Panganiban - Accountant

Rizal and the La Solidaridad Newspaper.

 On February 18, 1889, Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the patriotic newspapers called La
Solidaridad in Barcelona. It aims were as follows: To oppose work peacefully for political and
social reforms, To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines so that Spain may
remedy them, To oppose evil forces of reaction and medievalism, To advocate liberal ideas
and progress, To champion the legitimate aspiration of Filipino people to life, democracy
and happiness
The First Article in La Solidaridad.

 Rizal's first article was entitled "Los Agricultures Filipino (The Filipino Farmers), published on
March 25, 1889 (six days after he left London for Paris)

Writing in London.

 Rizal received news on Fray Rodriquez' unabated attack on his Noli. In defense, he wrote a
pamphlet: La Vision de Fray Rodriquez ( The Vision of Fray Rodriguez). Which was publish in
Barcelona under his nom-de-plume "Dimas Alang".
 In this pamphlet, Rizal demonstrated two things: His profound knowledge in religion and His
biting satire

"Young Women of Malolos" (Feb 22, 1889) in Tagalog.

 The main point of this letter were: A Filipino mother should teach her children Love of God,
fatherland and mankind. The Filipino mother should be glad, like the Spartan mother, to her
sons in defense of the fatherland. A Filipino woman should know how to preserve her
dignity and honor. A Filipino woman should educate herself, aside from retaining her good
racial values. Faith is not merely retaining long prayers and wearing religious pictures but
rather it is living in the real Christian Rizal to contributed some articles.
 Dr. Host, editor Trubner's Record requested Rizal to contributed some articles In response,
he prepared two articles: "Specimens of Tagalog folklore" published in the journal in May
1889, "Two Eastern Fables" published in June 1889.

Romance with Gertrude Beckett.

 Rizal had a romantic interlude with the oldest of the four Beckett sisters, Gertrude, Gettie as
she was affectionally called was a Buxom English girl with brown hair, blue eyes and rosy
cheeks
 Rizal eventually called the finish 4 sculptural work: Prometheus Bound , The Triumph of
Death over life, Triumph of science over death, A composite carving of the Beckett sisters.
The last name carving was a farewell gift to the Beckett sisters.

Adios to London.

 Suddenly on March 19,1889, Rizal bade goodbye to the kink Beckett Family particularly to
Gertrude and he left in London for Paris

CHAPTER 15: Rizal’s Second Sojourn in Paris and the Universal Exposition of 1889
 Universal Exposition 1889
 World’s Fair held in Paris
Life in Paris
 Used most of his time reading Bibliotheque Nationale
 Gym
 Living quarters
 Visiting friends
3 Filipino Scientist Rizal Founded
 Kidlat club
 Indios Bravos
 R.D.I.M. Society
Indolence of Filipinos
 Defense alleged
 Critical study of causes why the Filipinos did not work during the Spanish regime
 10 causes of declie in economic life
1. Native revolts and other internal disorder
2. Wars which the Filipinos fought for Spain
3. Raids on the coastal town
4. Forced labor
5. Lack stimulus to work harder
6. Government neglect and indifference agriculture
7. Teaching Spanish missionaries
8. Gambling
9. System of Spanish Education
 International Association of Filipinologists
 Officers
1. President – Dr. Blumentritt
2. V.P – Mr. Flauchut
3. Councilors – Dr. Rost and Dr. Regidor
4. Sec. – Dr. Jose Rizal

Chapter 16: In Belgian Brussels, 1890

Life in Brussels.

 Two reasons impelled Rizal to leave Paris: The cost of living in Paris was very high because of
the Universal Exposition. The gay social life of the city hampered his literary works.
 Rizal was busy writing his second novel and writing articles for La Solidaridad

New orthography of tagalog language.

 The tagalong letters k and w should be used instead of the Spanish c and o.
 Salacot - salakot / araw - araw

Rizal criticizes Madrid Filipinos for gambling.

 Rizal’s letter to del Pilar: Luna in Paris complains of the gambling of the Filipinos in Madrid.
We are serving the friars’ scheme. Filipinos do not come to Europe to gamble and to amuse
himself but to work for his liberty and for the dignity of his race. We in whom the poor
people place their modest hopes.
 The gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry when they learned of Rizal’s moralizing
 They derisively called him “Papa” (Pope) instead of “Pepe”

Bad news from home.

 The Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse.

 The management of the Dominican Hacienda continually raised the land rents until such
time that Rizal’s father refused to pay his rent.
 The Dominican Order filed a suit in court to dispossess the Rizal family of their lands in
Calamba.
 Tenants were persecuted
 Jose’s letter to Soledad: I have caused much harm to our family, but at least there remains
to us the consolation of knowing that the motive is not disgraceful nor does it humiliate any
body. It raises us up and gives us more dignity in the eyes of our enemies themselves; to fall
with the head high and the brow serene is not to fall, it is to triumph. The sad thing is to fall
with the stain of dishonor.

Presentiment of Death.

 He feared that we would not live long

 He was not afraid to die, but he wanted to finish his second novel before he went to his
grave
 Letter to del Pilar: In my childhood I had a strange belief that I would not reach 30 years of
age. I am preparing myself for death and for any eventuality. Laong Laan (Ever Ready) is my
name

Preparation to go home.
  In the face of the sufferings which is afflicted his family, Rizal planned to go home. He could
not stay in Brussels writing a book while his family are persecuted
 Letter to Ponce: Graciano Lopez Jaena should not go to Cuba but to our country to allow
himself to be killed in defense of his ideals. We have only once to die, and if we do not die
well, we lose an opportunity which will not again be presented to us. I want to go back to
the Philippines. We are not making any progress by following prudence.

Decision to go to Madrid.

 Rizal ignored the dire warning of his friends to return to the Philippines. No threat of danger
could change his plan
 Something happened suddenly made him change his plan
 It was a letter from Paciano which related that they lost the case against the Dominicans in
Manila, but they appealed it to the Supreme Court in Spain
 A lawyer was needed to handle it in Madrid
 Rizal wrote to del Pilar retaining the latter's services as lawyer. Jose informed del Pilar that
he was going to Madrid to supervise the handling of the case

To my Muse.

 A poem that represents Jose's worries on the disasters experienced by his family
Romance with Petite Jacoby.
 Two things brought some measure of cheer to the despondent Rizal, as he was preparing for
his trip to Madrid: First: Summertime Festival in Belgium, which was celebrated in carnival
style. Second: Romance with Petite Jacoby, niece of his landladies.