Gabriela Silang

Gabriela Silang was born in what is known now the Abra Province, in 1731, during a tumultuous time in the Philippines. She married Diego Silang in 1757.

Between 1756- 1763 the French and the British were fighting the Seven Year War. Spain (who occupied the Philippines at the time) allied with France and in an effort to reduce the Spanish Navy, The British seized Manila in 1762, and took control of both Manila and a principal port nearby, Cavite.  The Spanish colonial government prevented the British from extending their reach much further and British occupation ended with the Treaty of Paris when the 7 years war was done.

The faltering of Spanish control during the Seven Years War inspired local uprisings, especially in North of Ilocos Norte and Cagayan. Diego and Gabriela Silang aimed to kick the Spanish out of Ilocos with the supposed help of the British, who appointed him governor and promised to send him military troops to help him fight.

19370

The British reinforcements never came and in May of 1763 the Church paid Miguel Vicos, a friend of Diego, to assassinate him.

Gabriela fled to Tayum and then took control of her husbands troops, attempting to take Vigan before being pushed back by the Spanish. Forced to go into hiding, she was later captured and executed, on Sept 20, 1763.

source wikipedia
(Re-produced under fair-use and with credit)

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