William McKinley on American Expansionism Study Notes

Document Origin: This text is an excerpt from an interview conducted by General James Rusling with President William McKinley.
Publication Details:
- Originally published in The Christian Advocate on January 22, 1903.
- Later reprinted in The Life of William McKinley, Volume 2 by Charles Sumner Olcott (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1916).
Historical Setting: The account takes place following the American victory in the Spanish-American War, a period where the United States struggled to manage an anti-American insurgency in the Philippines after assuming control of the islands.

Reluctance toward Expansion: McKinley explicitly stated that he did not originally desire the Philippines for the United States.
Unforeseen Circumstances: When the islands were acquired, he described them as having come to the U.S. as a "gift from the gods," admitting he initially had no plan for their administration.
Strategic Military Necessity:
- At the start of the Spanish-American War, Commodore George Dewey was stationed at Hong Kong.
- McKinley ordered Dewey to Manila to "capture or destroy the Spanish fleet."
- Strategic Logic: If Dewey were defeated, the U.S. had no base to refit its ships on that side of the world. Conversely, if the Spanish fleet remained victorious, McKinley feared they would cross the Pacific Ocean to attack and "ravage" the coasts of California and Oregon.
- Outcome: Dewey successfully destroyed the fleet, but McKinley admitted that his strategic foresight did not extend beyond that military victory at the time.

Bipartisan Outreach: McKinley sought advice from across the political spectrum, including both Democrats and Republicans, but reported receiving little helpful guidance.
Incremental Considerations: He initially considered limited territorial acquisitions, such as taking only the city of Manila, then moving to include the island of Luzon, and eventually considering other islands.
Spiritual Intervention:
- McKinley described pacing the floor of the White House until midnight for many nights.
- He stated that he prayed to "Almighty God for light and guidance" more than one night.
- According to his account, a moment of clarity came to him late one night regarding the path the nation should take.

McKinley outlined four specific reasons why the United States could not relinquish control of the Philippines:

Rejection of Return to Spain: He believed that returning the islands to Spanish rule would be viewed as "cowardly and dishonorable."
Commercial Competitors: He argued against turning the islands over to France or Germany, who were identified as "commercial rivals in the Orient." He characterized such a move as "bad business and discreditable."
Alleged Incompetence for Self-Rule: McKinley claimed that the Filipinos were "unfit for self-government." He predicted that leaving them to their own devices would lead to "anarchy and misrule" worse than what had existed under Spanish colonial administration.
Moral and Religious Mandate: He concluded that the only remaining option was for the U.S. to "take them all." He defined the American mission as a duty to:
- Educate the Filipino people.
- Uplift and "civilize" the population.
- "Christianize" them (despite the Philippines being largely Catholic already).
- Treat them as "fellow-men for whom Christ also died."

Administrative Order: Following his late-night realization, McKinley summoned the chief engineer of the War Department, whom he referred to as the "map-maker."
Updating National Boundaries: He commanded the engineer to include the Philippines on the official map of the United States.
Presidential Commitment: Pointing to a map in the office, McKinley declared that the Philippines would remain U.S. territory for the duration of his presidency.