Cavite - History

History

Cavite is named as the Historical Capital of the Philippines. It is the cradle of Philippine Revolution, and the birthplace of Philippine Independence.

Cavite got its name from a Tagalog word kawit (which means hook) owing to the hook-shaped land on the Old Spanish map. The land was formerly known as "Tangway" where Spanish authorities constructed a fort from which the city of Cavite rose. Archeological evidence in coastal areas show prehistorical settlements. According to local folklore, the earliest settlers of Cavite came from Sulu or Borneo. In the 17th century, encomiendas (Spanish Royal land grants) were given in Cavite and Maragondon. Jesuit priests brought in settlers from Mollucas. These settlers, known as "Mardicas," settled in Ternate and Maragondon. Other settlements grew and by the start of the 18th century, Cavite towns were already trading with one another. Traditional industries began to thrive as Manila's commerce grew.

In 1872, Filipinos launched their revolt against Spain. Three Filipino priests—Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora—were implicated in the Cavite mutiny when 200 Filipinos staged a rebellion within Spanish garrisons. On August 28, 1896, when the revolution against Spain broke out, Cavite became a bloody theater of war. Led by Emilio Aguinaldo, Caviteños made lightning raids on Spanish headquarters, and soon liberated the entire province. Aguinaldo commanded the Revolution to its successful end: the proclamation of the Republic of the Philippines, on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, the first constitutional republic in Asia, and third established overall, after the Lanfang Republic in 1777, and the Republic of Formosa in 1895.