Editing Abacá (section)

=== 19th century ===
By 1897, the Philippines were exporting almost 100,000 tons of abacá,<ref name="wor" /> and it was one of the three biggest cash crops, along with tobacco and sugar.<ref name="dolan">{{harvnb|Seekins|1993|p=11}}</ref> In fact, from 1850 through the end of the 19th century, sugar or abacá alternated with each other as the biggest export crop of the Philippines.<ref name="dolan" /> This 19th-century trade was predominantly with the [[United States]] and the making of ropes was done mainly in [[New England]], although in time rope-making shifted back to the Philippines.<ref name="dolan" />

From 1898 to 1946, the [[History of the Philippines (1898–1946)|United States colonized the Philippines]] following the [[Spanish–American War|Spanish-American War]]. The [[Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum|Guggenheim]] claims the "colonial government found ways to prevent Filipinos from profiting off of the abaca crops, instead favoring the businesses of American expats and Japanese immigrants, as well as ensuring that the bulk of the abaca harvests were exported to the United States" for use in military initiatives.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=A Manila Envelope: The Inspiration behind an Exhibition's Graphic Identity |url=https://www.guggenheim.org/articles/checklist/a-manila-envelope-the-inspiration-behind-an-exhibitions-graphic-identity |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>