This book explores various aspects of late nineteenth-century Philippine society in an effort to locate the major "arenas of conspiracy and rebellion," especially in the 1890s. While the analytical focus is on the 1898 anti-Spanish rebellion in Cebu City, the study is intended to draw attention to these changes and developments as they impacted the entire archipelago and, in particular, to provide a socio-political framework to better understand the membership of the Katipunan (1892-1896). The emphasis of the analysis is on two categories of Philippine society during this time period: empleados (especially escribientes of colonial and business offices) and principales (municipal elites or officeholders).