This is the first in a series of five episodes regarding America's history with its first colony, the Philippines.  300 years before America's surprise arrival just days into the Spanish American war, the Spanish came to Manila.  Ferdinand Magellan's infamous demise should have been their first warning.  in this episode, we examine the archipelago's history with the Spanish friars, Chinese ex-pats, and Jose Rizal, one of the many Filipino martyrs in the story of Filipino independence.  Contact the show at resourcesbylowery@gmail.com or on Bluesky @EmpiresPod If you would like to financially support the show, please use the following paypal link. Or remit PayPal payment to @Lowery80.  And here is a link for Venmo users. Any support is greatly appreciated and will be used to make future episodes of the show even better.   Expect new shows to drop on Wednesday mornings from September to May. Music is licensed through Epidemic Sound