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Thomas McArthur Anderson Philippines Photograph Collection, 1898-1901

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Anderson, Thomas McArthur, 1836-1917
Title
Thomas McArthur Anderson Philippines Photograph Collection
Dates
1898-1901 (inclusive)
Quantity
37 black and white photographic prints (4 folders)
Collection Number
PH0144
Summary
Photographs taken on the Philippine Islands, mostly on Luzon, before and during the Philippine-American war
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

Thomas McArthur Anderson (1836-1917) graduated from St. Mary’s College in Maryland and from Cincinnati Law School. In 1858, he was admitted to the bar and began to practice law in Cincinnati. During the Civil War in 1861, Anderson enlisted as a private in the 65th Ohio Volunteers and shortly thereafter was commissioned Second Lieutenant of the 5th United States Cavalry. He was promoted to captain and served with the 12th United States Infantry. He remained in the army after the war, becoming a colonel in command of the 14th Infantry.

In 1898, as a Brigadier General, Anderson commanded the vanguard of the United States expeditionary force (the Eighth Army Corps) in the Philippines. These men were the first troops to reach the Philippines after George Dewey’s victory against the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. Anderson stayed in the Philippines until 1899, fighting in the early stages of the Philippine-American War until he was succeeded by General Henry W. Lawton.

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Historical Background

The Philippine-American War

The defeat of the Spanish by the United States in the Spanish-American War in 1898 ended Spanish rule in the Philippines, Cuba, Guam and Puerto Rico. The Philippine Islands, along with Guam and Puerto Rico, were ceded to the United States by Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War as part of the Treaty of Paris. This transfer of sovereignty was not recognized by Filipino leaders, whose troops were actually in charge of the entire archipelago, with the exception of the capital city of Manila, where the Spanish had been defeated by George Dewey and the city was occupied by American troops.

The Philippine-American war began near Manila on February 4th, 1899. Emilio Aquinaldo’s army occupied a trench-line surrounding Manila, and shooting soon began along this ten mile line. United States troops quickly overwhelmed Filipino positions, pushing north into Central Luzon, the main Philippine Island. The conventional battle ended in 1899, but guerilla fighting continued, with ambushes, massacres and retaliations on both sides. From this point on, the war became particularly savage, with indiscriminate violence and the slaughter of civilians. The number of Filipino civilian deaths is estimated by some historians to be in the hundreds of thousands.

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Content Description

This collection consists of photographs taken on the Philippine Islands during the period of the Philippine-American War, from 1898-1901. Most photographs were taken on the island of Luzon, and portray American troops, Philippine Islanders and town scenes.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Gift of Charles Anderson Gauld, Thomas McArthur Anderson's grandson.

Processing Note

Processed by Jody Hendrickson, 2004, and Megan E. Peacock, 2006.

These photographs were relocated from the Charles Anderson Gauld Papers (Manuscripts Accession 0488-001) in the repository in 2004.

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Thomas McArthur Anderson Papers (MSS1973)

Related Materials

Correspondence, speeches, writings, genealogy and Anderson’s memoirs, including an account of the Battle of Antietam, are available in the Thomas McArthur Anderson papers (Manuscript Collection 1973).

See also the Thomas McArthur Anderson Photograph Collection, PH1468.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 


2008 (Last modified: 1/19/2024)

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