MODULE 2

CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL

ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY
SOURCES
MODULE 2: CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY
SOURCES

LESSON 1: FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD (Antonio Pigafetta)

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Identify credible and authentic primary sources that could be used in

reconstructing and analyzing the history of the Filipino people from pre-colonial
times to the present;
2. Analyze the context, content, and perspective of selected primary sources and
determine how they affected the history of the Filipino people;
3. Develop critical and analytical skills as they are exposed to primary sources;

READ

I. Background of the Author

Presented by Agbayani, CenonJr et al. during the GEC Training.

Antonio Pigafetta (Italian: [anˈtɔːnjopiɡaˈfetta]; c.

1491 – c. 1534) was a Venetian scholar and explorer.
He joined the expedition to the Spice Islands led by
explorer Ferdinand Magellan under the flag of
King Charles I of Spain and, after Magellan's death in
the Philippines, the subsequent voyage around the
world. During the expedition, he served as Magellan's
assistant and kept an accurate journal which later
assisted him in translating the Cebuano language. It is the first recorded document
concerning the language.
 Pigafetta was one of the 18 men who returned to Spain in 1522, under the
command of Juan SebastiánElcano, out of the approximately 240 who set out three years
earlier. These men completed the first circumnavigation of the world. Pigafetta's surviving
journal is the source for much of what is known about Magellan and Elcano's voyage.

At least one warship of the Italian Navy, a destroyer of the Navigatori class, was named
after him in 1931.

In Seville, Pigafetta heard of Magellan's planned expedition and decided to join,

accepting the title of supernumerary (sobresaliente), and a modest salary of
1,000 maravedís.[2] During the voyage, which started in August 1519, Pigafetta collected
extensive data concerning the geography, climate, flora, fauna and the native inhabitants
of the places that the expedition visited. His meticulous notes proved invaluable to
future explorers and cartographers, mainly due to his inclusion of nautical and linguistic
data, and also to latter-day historians because of its vivid, detailed style. The only other
sailor to maintain a journal during the voyage was Francisco Albo, Victoria's last pilot,
who kept a formal logbook.

Pigafetta was wounded on Mactan in the Philippines, where Magellan was killed
in the Battle of Mactan in April 1521. Nevertheless, he recovered and was among the 18
who accompanied Juan SebastiánElcano on board the Victoria on the return voyage to
Spain.

Upon reaching port in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the modern Province of Cadiz in

September 1522, three years after his departure, Pigafetta returned to the Republic of
Venice. He related his experiences in the "Report on the First Voyage Around the World"
(Italian: Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo), which was composed
in Italian and was distributed to European monarchs in handwritten form before it was
eventually published by Italian historian Giovanni Battista Ramusio in 1550–59. The
account centers on the events in the Mariana Islands and the Philippines, although it
included several maps of other areas as well, including the first known use of the word
"Pacific Ocean" (OceanoPacifico) on a map. The original document was not preserved.

However, it was not through Pigafetta's writings that Europeans first learned of the
circumnavigation of the globe. Rather, it was through an account written by a Flanders-
based writer MaximilianusTransylvanus, which was published in 1523. Transylvanus had
been instructed to interview some of the survivors of the voyage when Magellan's
surviving ship Victoria returned to Spain in September 1522 under the command of Juan
Sebastian Elcano. After Magellan and Elcano's voyage, Pigafetta utilized the connections
he had made prior to the voyage with the Knights of Rhodes to achieve membership in
the order.

Antonio Pigafetta also wrote a book, in which a detailed account of the voyage was
given. It is quite unclear when it was first published and what language had been used in
the first edition. The remaining sources of his voyage were extensively studied by Italian
archivist Andrea da Mosto, who wrote a critical study of Pigafetta's book in 1898 (Il primo
viaggiointorno al globo di Antonio Pigafetta e le sue regolesull'arte del navigare) and
whose conclusions were later confirmed by J. Dénucé.

Today, three printed books and four manuscripts survive. One of the three books
is in French, while the remaining two are in Italian language. Of the four manuscripts,
three are in French (two stored in the Bibliothèquenationale de France and one
in Cheltenham), and one in Italian.

At the end of his book, Pigafetta stated that he had given a copy to Charles V.
Pigafetta's close friend, Francesco Chiericati, also stated that he had received a copy and
it is thought that the regent of France may have received a copy of the latter. It has been
argued that the copy Pigafetta had provided may have been merely a short version or a
draft. It was in response to a request, in January 1523, of the Marquis of Mantua that
Pigafetta wrote his detailed account of the voyage.

II. Historical Background of the Document

James Alexander Robertson
James Alexander Robertson (August 19, 1873 – March 20, 1939) was an American
academic historian, archivist, translator and bibliographer. He is most noted for his
contributions to the history and historiography of the Philippines and other former
territorial possessions of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

James Alexander Robertson was born 1873 in Corry, Pennsylvania.[1] He was the
sixth of eight children born to Canadian parents, who became naturalized U.S. citizens
after relocating to Corry in 1866. His father, John McGregor Robertson, was a building
contractor originally from Verulam, Ontario, near Peterborough. His mother, Elizabeth
Borrowman Robertson, had emigrated to Canada from her native Scotland as a child.

Robertson's mother died when he was seven. Three years later he and his family moved
to Cleveland, Ohio, where James completed his secondary education.

In 1902 Robertson became involved in the compilation of a massive multivolume

work on the history of the Philippines, initially called The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803.

On the completion of the Philippine Islands project Robertson went to the Carnegie
Institution of Washington to work in its historical research department (1909–10). In 1910
he moved to Manila and became bibliographer and librarian at the National Library of the
Philippines for the next six years. During his time in the Philippines Robertson was
instrumental in establishing library science as a discipline for instruction at the University
of the Philippines.
 Robertson returned to the U.S. and Washington in 1917, taking up a position with
the federal Department of Commerce. In 1918 Robertson was the founding editor of
the Hispanic American Historical Review, an academic journal devoted to Latin American
and Hispanic history. He remained the journal's editor-in-chief until his death.

In 1923 he gained a position as professor at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, and

lectured there for the next ten years. In 1935 he moved to Annapolis, Maryland, as the
archivist for the Maryland State Archives' Hall of Records.Robertson died three years
later on March 20, 1939 in Annapolis.

III. Contribution of the Document in Understanding the Philippine History

• Antonio Pigafetta was one of the survivors who kept a journal and considered as
the primary sources that actually witnessed the event and he was also the main
source about the first encounter of the Spaniards and the Filipinos.
• Pigafetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine
historiography.
• His writing described vividly the physical appearance, social life, religious beliefs
and cultural practices of the people they encountered in the islands of Samar,
Leyte and Cebu.
• His account also contains information about the economic activities of the local
folks and the goods they offered for trade.
• He got all this information through the help Enrique de Malaccca, Magellan’s
slave/interpreter.
• Lastly, Pigafetta gave us an eyewitness account of the Battle of Mactan which
resulted to the death of Magellan and him getting wounded.
SUGGESTED READINGS:

Antonio Pigafetta, First Voyage Around the World (pp.22-48)

DoinaVasilca. 2016. The First Voyage around the World—An old story using a new
application.16th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference: 508-9

Stanley, Henry Edward John (trans. and ed.). 1874. The First Voyage Round the World
by Magellan: Translated from accounts of Pigafetta and other contemporary writers.
London. Hakluyt Society.
ACTIVITY 2.1
I. Answer the following questions:
1. How did Pigafetta’s travelogue contribute immensely to the enrichment of
Philippine historiography?

2. What is the important information about the account of Antonio Pigafetta in his
book, “First Voyage Around the World” to the Filipino history?

3. Discuss the relevance of the Pigafetta’s account to the contemporary times.

II. Make a research on the following selected topics. Make sure to use primary sources
as much as possible for your references:
1. KartilyangKatipunan
2. Raider of the Sulu Sea
The format for a research work shall include the following:
I. Credibility of the Authors/ Background of the Author
II. Short description of the refence used (must be a primary source)
III. Content Presentation (Topic Summary)
IV. Contribution of the document in understanding Philippine history
MODULE 2: CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY
SOURCE

LESSON 2:CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOG ( Juan de Plascencia, OFM)

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Identify credible and authentic primary sources that could be used in

reconstructing and analyzing the history of the Filipino people from pre-colonial
times to the present;
2. Analyze the context, content, and perspective of selected primary sources and
determine how they affected the history of the Filipino people;
3. Develop critical and analytical skills as they are exposed to primary sources;

READ

I. Background of the Author

Presented by Agbayani, CenonJr et al. during the GEC Training.

Juan de Plasencia (Spanish: ['xwan de pla'senθja]) was a Spanish friar of

the Franciscan Order. He was among the first group of Franciscan missionaries who
arrived in the Islands on July 2, 1578.

He spent most of his missionary life in the Philippines, where he founded numerous towns
in Luzon and authored several religious and linguistic books, most notably
the DoctrinaCristiana (Christian Doctrine), the first book ever printed in the
 Philippines.Juan de Plasencia was born in the early 16th
century as Juan Portocarrero in Plasencia, in the region
of Extremadura, Spain. He was one of the seven children
of Pedro Portocarrero, a captain of a Spanish schooner.

Juan de Plasencia grew up during the period known as

the Siglo de Oro, a Golden Age when arts and literature
flourished in many parts of Spain, among them his native
Extremadura.

It is not well known when or where he first entered

the Order of the Franciscans. Some scholars point at the Convento de Villanueva de la
Serena, in Plasencia, while others speculate that he might have traveled to Italy and
joined a convent there, at a time when a large part of Italy was under Spanish rule.
According to researchers, he took the habit as a young man at the Cloister of Saint
Francis in Sorrento, Italy.

He is believed to have arrived to the Philippines in July 2, 1578, after a stopover

in Mexico. As soon as he arrived, he joined forces with another missionary, Fray Diego
de Oropesa, and they both started preaching around Laguna de Bay and Tayabas,
Quezon, in Quezon Province, where he founded several towns.

During the following years they are also credited with the foundation of a large number of
towns in the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal, such as Tayabas,
Caliraya, Lucban, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Lilio (Liliw), Pila, Santa
Cruz, Lumban, Pangil, Siniloan, Morong, Antipolo, Taytay, and Meycauayan.

As a friar, Juan de Plasencia lived up to his pledge, leading a lifestyle devoid of

any luxury and in constant contact with the people he was trying to convert to Christianity.
He was also known to be a defender of the native population, looking after the poor, ill,
or neglected, and standing up for their rights on numerous occasions.

He was also very keen on creating primary schools, and requested official sanction for
the creation of educational centers where "Filipinos could not only learn Christian
doctrine, but also reading and writing, and some arts and crafts, so they would become
after, not only good Christians but also useful citizens", an initiative that was approved
by Domingo de Salazar, the first Bishop of the See of Manila (1512–1594).

Juan de Plasencia wrote a number of books designed primarily to promote the

understanding of both the Spanish language among the natives, and the local languages
among the missionaries, to facilitate the task of spreading Christianity. He acknowledged
at an early stage the need of mastering the language of the natives in order to facilitate
evangelization, and in a letter to the King of Spain, dated June 18, 1585, he mentioned
some of his works to that effect:

In the language more common in these Islands, I have written some works like the
"Arte de la lenguatagala" and "Declaracion de toda la doctrina Cristiana," and now I am
writing the "Vocabulario." These are very necessary for all the ministers if they would only
be printed. It would be particularly favorable if Your Majesty would send me a "cedula" so
they could be sent for printing in Mexico at the expense of His Real Hacienda. It would
be of great use for these souls."

He is the author of what is believed to be the first book printed in the Philippines,
the Doctrina Cristiana, that was not only printed in Spanish, but also in Tagalog, in
both Latin script and the commonly used Baybayin script of the natives of the time, and it
even had a version in Chinese.

Other works attributed to him are the "Relacion de lasCostumbres de Los Tagalos"
(1589), that not only helped understand and preserve many of the traditional ways of the
local population, but also provided the first form of Civil Code, used by local governors to
administer justice.

A mystical work which he entitled "La Santina", was an Opus number on prayer
and contemplation entirely done in the Tagalog language so the natives who did not know
Spanish could also engage in the spiritual exercises of their teachers.

Juan de Plasencia died in Liliw, Laguna in 1590.

II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENT

 During the first century of Spanish rule, colonial officials had the hard time
running local politics because of the limited number of Spaniards who wanted to
live outside Intramuros.

 This situation forced them to allow Filipinos to hold the position of

gobernadorcillo.

 To ensure that they would remain loyal to the Crown, they instructed the friars
assigned in the parishes to supervise and monitor the activities of the
gobernadorcillo.

 Hence, the friars ended up performing the administrative duties that colonial
officials should have been doing in the local level.

 They supervised the election of the local executives, helped in the collection of
taxes, directly involved in educating the youth and performed other civic duties.

 As years went by, the friars ended up the most knowledgeable and influential
figure in the pueblo.

 Some duties of friars assigned in mission territories:

➢ inform periodically their superiors of what was going on in their respective

assignments.
➢ report the number of natives they converted, the people’s way of life, their
socio-economic situation and the problems they encountered.
➢ some submitted short letters while others who were keen observers and
gifted writers wrote long dispatches.

 On top of the regular reports they submit, they also shared their personal
observations and experiences.

 Plasencia’sRelacion de lasCostumbres de Los Tagalos(Customs of the Tagalog,

1589) is an example of this kind of work.
 It contains numerous information that historians could use in reconstructing the
political and socio-cultural history of the Tagalog region.

 His work is a primary source because he personally witnessed the events and
observations that he discussed in his account.

 There were other friars and colonial officials who wrote about the Filipinos that
could further enrich our knowledge of Philippine history during the early part of
the Spanish period.

 Miguel de Loarca

➢ Arrived in 1576 and became an encomenderoof Panay.

➢ He wrote Relación de las Islas Filipinas (1582) and his work described
the way of life of Filipinos living in Western Visayas area.

 Antonio de Morga.

➢ He came to the Philippines in 1595 as Asesorand Teniente General.

➢ His Sucesos de las Islas Filipinasgives us a lot of information about the
state of the Philippines at the latter part of the 16th century.

 Other Spanish missionaries who continued the historiographical tradition

initiated by Loarca and Plasencia were:

➢ Fr. Pedro Chirino S.J. (Relación de las Islas Filipinas, 1604;

➢ Fr. Juan Delgado S.J. (Historia General, 1751);
➢ Fr. Francisco Colin S.J. (Labor Evangelica, 1663);
➢ Francisco Ignacio Alcina S.J. (Historia natural del sitio, fertilidad y calidad
de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas, 1668); and
➢ Fr. Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga O.S.A. (Historia, 1803).

• Many of the what we know about Philippine history during the first century of the
Spanish period were derived from the accounts of the Spanish friars.
 About the Text:

 The work of Plascencia is considered by many historians as an example of a friar

account.

 This kind of writing is one of the most common contemporaneous account during
the early part of the Spanish period.

 The original text of Plascencia’sCustoms of the Tagalogs is currently kept in

Archivo General de Indias (A.G.I.) in Seville, Spain.

 There is also a duplicate copy of it in the ArchivoFranciscanoIbero-Oriental

(A.F.I.O.), in Madrid, Spain.

 In the Philippines, an English version of it appeared in volume VII of the Blair and
Robertson collections.

 Another English translation of it was published as part of the volume for pre-
Hispanic Philippines of the Filipiniana Book Guild series and what will be
presented below is from this version.

III. CONTENT PRESENTATION

The content presentation was presented by Agbayani, CenonJr et al. during the
1stGenereration GEC Training.

PoliticalOrganization
o The community is gathered in a barangay. It is called a “barangay”
because they associate themselves with the “Malay” who are one of the
first people to arrive in the Philippines through a boat in which they call
“barangay”.
o Some consisted of around 30 - 100 houses
o Barangays also have some sort of diplomacy
o All barangays were equal in terms of status
Social Hierarchy

• There are three status/castes within a barangay: Maharlica, AlipingNamamahay,

AlipingsaGuiguilir.
▪ Maharlica are those who are born free;
▪ AlipingNamamahayare those who serve their masters however,
they can have their own properties
▪ AlipingsaGuiguilirare those considered to be slaves who serve their
masters or can be sold off.

Property

• The land area was divided among the whole barangay, especially the irrigated
portions.
• No one from a different barangay could cultivate land unless they inherit or buy
the land
• The lands on the tingues, or mountain ridges, are not divided but owned by the
barangay as a whole.
• At the time of rice harvest, any individual (regardless of their barangay) that
starts to clear any land area may sow in it.
• Fisheries of chiefs had established limits, and sections of the rivers for markets
• Unless you were a member of the chief’s barangay, you had to pay for the
privilege of fishing or selling in the chiefs’ fisheries

Marriage Customs

• In the case of a divorce, if the wife would leave her husband for the sake of
marrying another man, all her belongings plus a certain amount would be
given to her former husband however, if she chooses to leave and do not
have any plans to marry, then all of her dowry will be returned to her.
 • In the case of an adoption, the children would receive double the value of how
much they were bought to be adopted;
• Investigations and sentences for the accused shall be presented and read in
front of the tribe.

Worship and Belief (Religion)

• There were no temples or sacred places in which Filipinos would worship

• The word simbahan means a place to worship which is constructed at a large
house of the chief where people of the tribe go to celebrate festivals (aka
pandot or worship)
• They beat large and small drums successively during the feast which usually
lasted four days.
• nagaanitos - worship; (anito - soul or spirit of ancestors)
• sibi- a temporary shed, made on each side of thechief’s house, for the
assembled people.
• Bathala - one of their many idols, whom they specially worshipped.
• They worshipped the sun, the moon, and some, even the stars or a
particular dead man with special capability that fought bravely or protected
them in their time of need
• sun - almost universally respected and honored because of its beauty;
• moon - they would rejoice, especially when new
• stars - they did not name them except for the morning star, which they called
Tala
• “Seven little goats” - the Pleiades; a star cluster
• Balatic - the Greater Bear constellation
• Mapolon - the change of seasons
• lic-ha - idols; images with different shapes;
• Dian masalanta - an idol; patron of lovers and generation
 • LacapatiandIdianale - idols; patrons of the cultivated lands andhusbandry;
• buaya - crocodiles; were respected by the Tagalogs due to their fear ofbeing
harmed by them; they offered a portion of what they carried in their boats to
them

12 Priests of the Devil

1. Catolonan
• Priest from a people of rank
• Officiates the offering sacrifice for a feast and the food to be eaten being offered
to the devil
2. Mangagauay
• They pretend to heal the sick in order to deceive others
3. Manyisalat
• They can cast remedies to couples for them to abandon one another
4.Mancocolam
• Can emit fire from himself which cannot be extinguished
5. Hocloban
• Much more powerful than a mangagauayin which they can kill anyone without the
use of any medicine. They can also heal those who are ill.
6. Silagan
• They would tear out and eat the liver of those they saw were wearing white
7.Magtatangal
• They would go out at night without their heads and put it back into their bodies
before the sun rise
8. Osuang
• Tribesmen reported that they saw the “osuang” who can fly and murdered a man
and ate his flesh.
9. Mangagayoma
• They would seduce their partners with charms and other accessories so they can
deceive them.
10. Sonat
• This devil helped people to die. They can also know if the soul they helped to die
can either be saved or not.
11. Pangatahojan
• They can predict the future.
12. Bayoguin
• These are men who are in the nature of a woman.

Superstition
• They find omens in events they witness
• (i.e. when someone sneezed, met on their way a rat or serpent, or the
Tigmamanuguin bird sang they would go home in fear that evil would befall them
if they continued their journey)
• The Tigmamanuguin bird’s (a blue bird as large as a turtle-dove) song had two
forms: a good omen, and a bad omen.

IV. CONTRIBUTION AND RELEVANCE OF THE DOCUMENT IN UNDERSTANDING

PHILIPPINE HISTORY
The following are the contribution of the document in understanding Philippine
History presented by Agbayani, CenonJr et al.:
 Plasencia’sCustoms of the Tagalogs is a very popular primary source because it
vividly described the situation of the Philippines before it was tainted with Spanish
and Christian influences.
 Scholars like it because it covered numerous topics that are relevant in many
disciplines.
 Many of what we know about the duties and responsibilities of the datus,
maharlikas and alipins came from Plasencia’s account.
 Moreover, it also talks about property rights, marriage rituals, burial practices and
the manner in which justice is dispensed.
 Plasencia also preserved and popularized the unwritten customs, traditions,
religious and superstitious beliefs of the Filipinos.
 Priests and missionaries also read Plasencia’sCustoms of the Tagalogs and
Doctrina Christiana because they get a lot of insights that help and inspire them to
become effective evangelizers.
 One insight they got from Plasencia is the the realization that one needs to master
the local language and study the culture of the people if you want to be a successful
missionary.
 They also learned from him that preaching should be accompanied with reading
materials that contain the basic elements of faith.
 These readings serve as their guide and reference when the missionaries are no
longer around.
 All these insights from Plasencia are applicable not only to missionaries but to
other professions as well.
 Plasencia’s historical writings also disprove the claim of some Spaniards that when
they arrived in the Philippines, Filipinos were still uncivilized and lacking in culture.
 It is clear in the excerpts quoted above that at the time Plasencia was assigned in
the Tagalog region Filipinos were already politically and economically organized.
 They have a functioning government, tax system, set of laws, criminal justice
system, indigenous calendar and long-standing customs and traditions.
 Moreover, they have already a concept of supreme being (Bathala), practiced
burial customs and believed in life after death.
 Lastly, Plasencia also mentioned that the people he met were wearing garments,
gold ornaments and their houses were decorated with idols.
 All of these lead to the conclusion that prior to the coming of the Spaniards,
Filipinos were already civilized and maintained a lifestyle that was at par or even
better than other countries in Southeast Asia.
ACTIVITY 2.2
I. Answer the following questions:
1. What was the document of Plascencia all about?

2. What do you think is the bias inhibited by the author?

3. What is the importance of the Customs of the Tagalog in understanding the

Philippine History?

II. Make a research on the following selected topics. Make sure to use primary sources
as much as possible for your references:

1.Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American Era by Alfred McCoy

2. Works of Juan Luna and Fernando Amorsolo
The format for a research work shall include the following:
I. Credibility of the Authors/ Background of the Author
II. Short description of the refence used (must be a primary source)
III. Content Presentation (Topic Summary)
IV. Contribution of the document in understanding Philippine history

SUGGESTED READINGS

Juan de Placencia, Customs of the Tagalogs, (Garcia 1979,pp.221-234)Friar Account

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898- Volume 07 of 55 eBook
 REFERENCES

Barrantes, Vicente (1875). Narracionesextremeñas. Madrid: Imp. de J. Peña. p. 197.

Bazaco, Evergisto (1939). History of Education in the Philippines. Manila: University

of Santo Tomas press. p. 474.

Cano, Glòria (February 2008). "Evidence for the deliberate distortion of the Spanish
Philippine colonial historical record in The Philippine Islands 1493–1898". Journal
of Southeast Asian Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, for the
History Department, National University of Singapore. 39 (1): 1–
30. doi:10.1017/S0022463408000015. ISSN 0022-4634. OCLC 259169493.

Felix de Huerta, OFM. Estado, geografico, topografico, Estadistico, Historico-

Religioso de la Santa y apostolicaprovincia de San Gregorio Magno,.Binondo,
Manila: 1885 p. 71

Fernandez, Jose "Ding". "Juan de Plasencia, OFM — TatayngTaytayni Juan (Part

3)". Academia.edu (in Filipino). Retrieved August 28, 2019.

Gómez Platero, Eusebio, O.F.M. (1880). CatálogoBiográfico de los Religiosos

Franciscanos de la Provincia de San Gregorio Magno de Filipinas :desde 1577 en

quellegaron los primeros a Manila. Manila: Imprentadel Real Colegio de Santo
Tomás. p. 6.

Gutay, Jose "Long" D., OFM. "Life and Works of Fray Juan de Plasencia". OFM
Archives - Philippines. Archived from the original on 2007-06-03. Retrieved 2017-
10-25.

Hill, Roscoe R. (May 1939). "Dr. James Alexander Robertson 1873-1939". Hispanic
American Historical Review. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 19 (2): 127–
129. ISSN 0018-2168. JSTOR 2507436. OCLC 1752092.

Magellan's Voyage around the World by Antonio Pigafetta – The original text of the
Ambrosianms. translated by James Alexander Robertson, Cleveland : The Arthur
H. Clark Company (1906); Vol 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3

Murphy, Patrick J.; Coye, Ray W. (2013). Mutiny and Its Bounty: Leadership
Lessons from the Age of Discovery. Yale University Press. ISBN
9780300170283. Archived from the original on 2015-06-27.

Perez, Origen, "Carta del P. Juan de Plasencia al Rey, Manila, 18 de Junio de 1585", pp.
287-288, Archivo General de Indias, Sevilla

Power Point Presented by: Eastern VisayasGroup : Agbayani, Cenon Jr. , Destura,
 Ryan, Gabunada, Maria Vanessa, Lanugan, Romulo, Mangada, Tessie, Pabalan,
Asuncion, Villarino, Ibarra Maximino

Shavit, David (1990). The United States in Asia: a historical dictionary. Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-26788-X. OCLC 21522840.

The First Voyage Round the World, by Magellan, London: The Hakluyt Society (1874)
Wilgus, A. Curtis (1970) [©1942]. "The life of James Alexander Robertson". In A.
Curtis Wilgus (ed.). Hispanic American Essays: A Memorial to James Alexander

Robertson. Essay index reprint series (Reprint of University of North Carolina Press
original ed.). Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press. ISBN 0-8369-1953-
X. OCLC 122617.