Andres Bonifacio

General Andres Bonifacio Bonifacio y de Castro and Andres Bonifacio (30 November 1863 – 09 May 1897) was a Filipino resistance movement member, revolutionary, and soldier. He founded the independence group Katipunan. He was the first President of the Philippines Provisional Revolutionary government, serving between 1895 and 1896.

Early life
Andres Bonifacio was born on November 30, 1863, in Tondo, Manila. His parents were Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro, and he had six siblings. Andres’ mother passed away when he was just a little boy, and his father died as well. Andres was left to care for his younger siblings.

Because of his family’s poor financial situation, Andres could not attend a formal school for very long. He taught himself by reading books and learning about history, literature, and languages. He was interested in the stories of independence from other countries, which would later help him fight for his own nation’s freedom.Bonoan, Christopher (June 12, 2014). "Of books, bolo, and Bonifacio". Rappler.

Political activism
As Bonifacio grew older, he became more aware of the problems the Philippines faced under Spain at the time. People were forced to pay high taxes, and many natives were treated like second-class citizens in their own land. Andres began to feel strongly about this and decided to do something about it.

In 1892, Bonifacio joined La Liga Filipina, a group founded by Jose Rizal to get reforms from the Spanish government, such as better treatment of Filipinos and fair laws. Bonifacio believed that the only way for the Philippines to be truly be free was through a revolution. Because La Liga Filipina was a peaceful organization, its leaders advocated for reforms legally. On the day after Rizal was arrested and sent to Dapitan, Bonifacio co-founded the Katipunan, a secret society that aimed to overthrow the Spanish rulers and fight for Philippine independence. Bonifacio rose to a leader within the Katipunan, where organized and spread the movement throughout the country.Agoncillo, Teodoro (1990) [1960], History of the Filipino People (8th ed.), Quezon City: Garotech Publishing Inc., ISBN 971-10-2415-2, archived from the original on October 24, 2020, retrieved October 1, 2020

Related pages
 Katipunan

 References 

 Other websites 
Ang Supremo – Filipino Culture by The Pinoy Warrior and What if Andres Bonifacio had a Facebook Page?
 The Records of the Court Martial of Andres and Procopio Bonifacio  Full text and online collection of court documents in Spanish and old Tagalog with regards to the Andres and Procopio Bonifacio trial.
 The Courtmartial of Andres Bonifacio  English translation of the historical court documents and testimonies in the trial and execution of Andres and Procopio Bonifacio processed by Filipiniana.net 
 Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog  Summary and full text of an article written by Andres Bonifacio in the Katipunan newspaper Kalayaan posted in Filipiniana.net 
 Andres Bonifacio: 1863–1897. United States Library of Congress.

Category:1863 births
Category:1897 deaths
Category:Filipino educators
Category:Politicians from Manila
Category:Filipino autobiographers
Category:Executed people