The Thomasites are a group of about five hundred pioneer American teachers sent by the American government to the Philippines in August 1901 to establish a public school system, to teach basic education and to train Filipino teachers, with English as the medium of instruction. The name Thomasite was derived from the transport vessel, the USS Thomas (formerly Minnewaska), that brought them to the shores of Manila Bay. Although two groups of new American graduates arrived in the Philippines before the USS Thomas, the name Thomasite became the designation of all pioneer American teachers simply because the USS Thomas had the largest contingent. Later batches of American teachers were also dubbed as the Thomasites. Pioneer may refer to: Woodsman, one who makes his living in the wilderness through trapping, hunting, logging, and/or prospecting Settler, one who has travelled from his or her homeland by choice to live in a new land or colony Mormon Pioneer, a members of the Church of Jesus Christ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The term public school has different meanings: In Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and most other English-speaking nations, a public school is a school which is financed and run by the government and does not charge tuition fees. ... Basic education is an essential education. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Look up medium in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Thomas, for Clarence Crase Thomas. ... Minnewaska Township is a township located in Pope County, Minnesota. ...

The Thomasites, 365 males and 165 females, left Pier 12 of San Francisco on July 23, 1901 to sail via the Pacific Ocean to South East Asia. The U.S. government spent about $105,000 for the expedition. More American teachers followed the Thomasites in 1902, making a total of about 1,074 stationed in the Philippines. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... ...

At the time, the Thomasites were offered $125 a month, but once in the Philippines salaries were often delayed, and were usually paid in devalued Mexican pesos. Peso is the name of the currency of various countries: Argentina: Argentine peso (ISO 4217: ARS) Chile: Chilean peso (CLP) Colombia: Colombian peso (COP) Cuba: Cuban peso (CUP) Dominican Republic: Dominican peso (DOP) Mexico: Mexican peso (MXN, previously MXP) Philippines: Philippine peso (PHP) Uruguay: Uruguayan peso (UYU) In Spanish peso...

Foundation

Although the Thomasites were the largest group teachers the purpose of educating the Filipinos, they were not the first to be deployed by Washington, D.C. A few weeks before the arrival of the converted cattle ship, USS Thomas, the U.S. Army soldiers had already began teaching Filipinos the English language, thus in effect laying down the foundation of the Philippine public school system. The U.S. Army opened the Philippines’ first public school in Corregidor Island, after Admiral George Dewey vanquished the Spanish armada in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines Manila Bay. ... George Dewey (December 26, 1837 – January 16, 1917) was an admiral of the United States Navy, best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. ... Combatants England, The Netherlands Spain Commanders Charles Howard Francis Drake Duke of Medina Sidonia Strength 34 warships 163 merchant vessels 22 galleons 108 merchant vessels Casualties 500 dead or wounded 600 dead 3 merchant ships sunk 1 merchant ship captured {{{notes}}} The Spanish Armada or Great/Grand Armada(Old Spanish... Manila Bay Ãœ is the harbor which serves the port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Also, a few weeks before the USS Thomas, a group composed of 48 American teachers also arrived in the Philippines aboard the Sheridan. Sheridan is the name of several places in the United States of America: Sheridan, Indiana Sheridan, Michigan Sheridan, New York Sheridan, Oregon Sheridan, Wyoming Sheridan County, Kansas Sheridan is also the name of a battle tank developed by the United States army, named after General Philip H. Sheridan. ...

After President William McKinley’s appointment of William Howard Taft as the head of a commission that would be responsible for continuing the educational work started by the U.S. Army. The Taft Commission passed the Education Act No. 34 on January 21, 1901, which established the Department of Public Instruction. The latter was then given the task of establishing a public school system throughout the Philippines. The Taft Commission also authorized the further deployment of 1,000 more educators from the U.S. to the Philippines. The name Mckinley redirects here. ... William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the 27th President of the United States, and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Assignments

After being quarantined for two days after their arrival on August 21, 1901, the Thomasites were finally able to disembark from the USS Thomas. They travelled from the customs house near the Anda Circle then stayed at the walled city Intramuros, Manila before being given initial provincial assignments which included Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Masbate, Samar, Zambales, Aparri, Jolo, Negros, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bataan, Batangas, Pangasinan and Tarlac. Quarantine, a medical term (from Italian: quaranta giorni, forty days) is the act of keeping people or animals separated for a period of time before, for instance, allowing them to enter another country. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Intramuros circa 1920s Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, is the oldest among the districts of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. ... Manilas President Manuel Roxas Boulevard also known as the Baywalk Manila (Filipino: Maynila) is the capital of the Philippines. ... Albay P is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Camarines Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Samar may refer to: Samar Province, Philippines. ... Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ... Aparri is a municipality of the province of Philippines. ... Jolo is an island in the southwest Philippines. ... Negros is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas. ... Cebu is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. ... Dumaguete City is the capital city of the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. ... REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Province of Bataan Region: Central Luzon (Region III) Capital: Balanga City Founded: —1754 Population: 2000 census—557,659 (46th largest) Density—406 per km² (12th highest) Area: 1,373. ... Batangas is a province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. ... Pangasinan is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. ... Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ...

Curriculum 1902-1935

The Thomasites thought the following subjects: English, agriculture, reading, grammar, geography, mathematics, general courses, trade courses, housekeeping and household arts (sewing, crocheting and cooking), manual trading, mechanical drawing, freehand drawing and athletics (baseball, track and field, tennis, indoor baseball and basketball).

Legacy

The Thomasites built upon the contributions laid down by the U.S. Army. They built elementary schools and learning institutions such as the following:

• Philippine Normal School, 1901
• Philippine School of Arts and Trades (PSAT), 1901
• Tarlac High School, September 21, 1902
• Quezon National High School, 1902 (now, Tayabas High School)

They also reopened the Philippine Nautical School, which was originally established by the Board of Commerce of Manila in 1839 under Spain. September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

About a hundred of the Thomasites stayed on to live in the Philippines after finishing their teaching assignments.

They transformed the Philippines into the third largest English-speaking nation in the world.

They became the precursors of the present-day U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers. // General In generic terms, a precursor is something that existed before and was incorporated into something that came later. ... Peace Corps volunteers usually serve for two years. ...

For their contribution to Philippine education, the Thomasites Centennial Project was established in cooperation with American Studies associations in the Philippines, the Philippine-American Educational Foundation, the Embassy of the United States of America in Manila, and other leading cultural and educational institutions in the Philippines. American Studies is a distinct interdisciplinary field that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of American culture past and present. ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ...

List of some Thomasite teachers

• Philinda Rand
• Hattie Grove, the English-language teacher of Carlos P. Romulo
• James D. Barry
• A.V.H. Hartendorp, the founder and publisher of the Philippine Magazine
• Adeline Knapp
• Carrie Rice Shaw
• Blaine Free Moore
• Glenn Anthony May
• Mary Fee, author of An American Woman’s Impression of the Philippines (GCF Books)
• Austin Craig, an American expert on José Rizal
• Audrey Boyle, former principal of Quezon National High School
• Henry H. Balch, former principal of Quezon National High School
• Benjamin Neal
• Roy Matthews
• Paul Gilbert
• Maud Jarman
• Blaine Free Moore
• Harry Cole, husband of another Thomasite, Mary Cole
• Frederic Marquardt, is himself a son of a pioneer Thomasite, who went back to the Philippines in 1987 to unveil a bust of his father.
• C. Goddard
• Mr. Guernsey
• Mr. Allen
• Mr. Jamizon
• Mr. Collins
• Mr. Badger
• Mr. Parker
• Ms. Johnson

General Carlos P. Rómulo (b. ... José Rizal portrait from a 1902 Painting by Fabian Dela Rosa Dr. José Protacio Mercado Rizal y Alonzo Realonda (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896), variously called the Pride of the Malay Race, The Great Malayan, The First Filipino, The Messiah of the Revolution, The Universal Hero, The Messiah of...

References and external links

• In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow, Ballantine Books, March 3, 1990, 536 pages, ISBN 0345328167
• 12 October.htm An article about the Thomasites: An Army Like No Other, October 12, 2003
• An Article About the Thomasites' Centennial Project: Launching of a Book on Thomasites and Photographs August 15, 2003
• U. S. Peace Corps On-line
• An article about the Thomasites by Michael L. Tan
• Quezon National High School
• U.S. Peace Corps
• Thomasites Website

Stanley Karnow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who covered Asia from 1959 as chief correspondent for Time and Life. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• History of the Philippines
• Philippine English

// Prehistoric Times Main Article: Pre-colonial History of the Philippines Human Arrivals Human fossil records indicate that the Philippines may have been inhabited for thousands of years. ... Philippine English is the English language as it is used in the Philippines, where it is one of two official languages, the other being Filipino. ...

Related links

An Article on What the Thomasites ate on their voyage to the Philippines by Ambeth Ocampo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 18 June 2004 June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...