Negros Revolution against Spanish rule and the Republic of Negros

Background. Negros was a wealthy province where local leaders initially shared social privileges with the Spanish elite. Despite earlier grassroots attempts at revolt, the island showed little enthusiasm for the 1896 Cry of Balintawak. However, by August 1898, rumors of insurrection in the Visayas prompted local leaders to arm themselves and negotiate with comrades in Iloilo, setting the stage for the 1898 revolution.

Establishment of the Republic. The revolution concluded on November 6, 1898, following the proclamation of the República de Negros in Bago on November 5. On November 27, the Congress of Deputies met in Bacólod to declare the Republican Canton of Negros. This entity initially functioned as a canton of the First Philippine Republic before transitioning under U.S. protection.

U.S. Protection and Annexation. Motivated by economic interests or realpolitik, the hacendero-led government surrendered to U.S. forces on March 4, 1899. The entity came under U.S. protection on April 30, 1899, as a territory separate from the Philippine Islands. It was eventually annexed to the Philippine Islands on April 20, 1901, as the Republic of Negros.