Born Then
1899–1902

Life during the Philippine–American War

Be born in a place it hit, a few years before it began, and see what it did to five ordinary lives.

What it meant for ordinary people

After Spain sold the Philippines to the United States in 1898, the First Philippine Republic fought for independence. American forces won by 1902 with a counter-guerrilla campaign that moved civilians into camps. Cholera, rinderpest and hunger killed far more than battle.

Deaths: about 200,000 Filipino civilians, mostly from disease and hunger, and about 20,000 Filipino soldiers.

How hard it hits each person in the game (risk of death, of being conscripted, of leaving) comes from scholarly estimates.

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