Education and the spread of democratic ideals had been two of the many legacies that the United States has brought to the Filipino people. The advent of the American Thomasites in August of 1901 was instrumental in the introduction of the new era of public education in the archipelago. Motivated by the highest ideals with utmost desire to assist in building a new nation in this part of the world and a thousand young American men and women, who were trained and educated in some of the best academes in the United States, established a modern publicschool system which undoubtedly has contributed remarkable impact on the lives of the greatest number of Filipinos. Coined after the name of the U.S. Army Transport Thomas that carried them to the Philippines, the American Thomasites were a group of 540 American teachers and some of their family members who first came to propagate public education in the country. In 1902 though this number of American teachers was increased to a total of 1,074. Read more.