{"id":4285,"date":"2022-01-22T20:06:53","date_gmt":"2022-01-22T20:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/?page_id=4285"},"modified":"2026-02-19T15:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T15:26:07","slug":"global-diplomacy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/course-syllabus\/global-diplomacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Diplomacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<h3>Why did US expansionists fail to achieve so many of their nineteenth-century goals?<\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>CHAPTER 7: &#8220;A Good Enough England&#8221;: Foreign Relations in the Gilded Age, 1877-1893<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Absorbed in domestic problems and less concerned with external threats than at any time in their nation&#8217;s history, Gilded Age Americans elevated traditional doctrines of non-entanglement to holy writ.\u00a0 At the same time, they were more than ever drawn to far-flung areas in search of adventure, opportunity, commerce, and &#8216;heathen&#8217; souls to be saved.\u00a0 Conscious of their rising power, they were more disposed to intervene in their own hemisphere and indeed beyond.\u00a0 During these years, such intrusions were often clumsy and counterproductive.\u00a0 Expansionist initiatives were frequently thwarted by a hostile Congress or junked by incoming administrations.&#8221; (Herring, p. 265)<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;George C. Herring,\u00a0<em>From Colony to Superpower:\u00a0 U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776<\/em> (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), 265.<\/p>\n<p><strong>KEY TERMS &amp; FIGURES:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Chinese Exclusion (1882) \/\/ James G. Blaine \/\/ Alvey Adee \/\/ Wong Kim Ark \/\/ Henry McNeal Turner<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Principles, Policies, Slogans:\u00a0 The politics of <\/strong><strong>19th century US diplomacy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Principles<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Democracy @ home<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Policies<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>National independence (unilateralism)<\/li>\n<li>Continental expansion (annexation)<\/li>\n<li>Global trade (reciprocity)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Slogans<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>City on a hill<\/li>\n<li>Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute<\/li>\n<li>54-40 or Fight<\/li>\n<li>Manifest Destiny<\/li>\n<li>Isolationism (America First)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>KEY FIGURES<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: right;\">James G. Blaine (1830-1893)<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2188\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2014\/12\/Blaine-James-G.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"264\" \/>\u201cThe pace of U.S. overseas activity quickened from 1889 to 1893 under the aggressive leadership of President Benjamin Harrison and Secretary of State Blaine. \u00a0Defeated by Cleveland for the presidency in 1884, Blaine declined to run four years later. \u00a0The Republicans nominated instead the Indiana lawyer, U.S. senator, and grandson of President William Henry Harrison. \u00a0As a Senate mentor, Blaine had helped convert the Indianian to expansionism. \u00a0The cold, aloof president and his dynamic, charismatic adviser never formed a close working relationship; their collaboration was often beset with rivalry and tension. \u00a0But the two pursued an activist, sometimes belligerent foreign policy that jump-started a decade of expansionism, energetically reasserting U.S. leadership on the hemisphere, pushing reciprocity with renewed vigor, escalating a minor crisis with Chile to the point of war, aggressively pursuing naval bases in the Caribbean and Pacific, and even giving the green light to a coup d\u2019etat in Hawaii. \u00a0Small of stature with a high-pitched voice, \u2018Little Ben\u2019 was especially bellicose and on several occasions had to be restrained by the man known as \u2018Jingo Jim.&#8217;\u201d (Herring, chap. 7, pp. 292-3)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Other Key Players, Witnesses, or Examples<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-4285 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/assignments\/profiles-in-diplomacy\/adee-alvey\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2014\/12\/Adee-Alvey-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2231\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-2231'>\n\t\t\t\tAlvey Adee\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/2019\/03\/03\/chinese-exclusion-act\/wong-kim-ark\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2019\/03\/Wong-Kim-Ark-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Wong\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-3302\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-3302'>\n\t\t\t\tWong Kim Ark\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/assignments\/profiles-in-diplomacy\/turner-henry-mcneal\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2014\/12\/Turner-Henry-McNeal-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Turner\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2216\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-2216'>\n\t\t\t\tHenry McNeal Turner\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>KEY TERMS:\u00a0 Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cCongress in 1879 passed a bill limiting the number of Chinese who could come into the country on any ship.\u00a0 As anti-Chinese as he was anti-British, then-Senator [James G.] Blaine defended the legislation as a blow for the \u2018civilization of Christ\u2019 against the \u2018civilization of Confucius.\u2019\u00a0 Arguing that the bill violated U.S. treaty obligations, Hayes courageously vetoed it.\u00a0 Recognizing the political strength of the agitators, however, the government negotiated a new treaty with China permitting the United States to limit or suspend but not to \u2018absolutely prohibit\u2019 Chinese immigration.\u00a0 Congress immediately suspended immigration for twenty years, provoking an Arthur veto.\u00a0 The legislators responded with a new bill suspending Chinese immigration for ten years, the first such exclusion in U.S. history.\u00a0 More exclusionist laws followed.\u00a0 With no choice but to acquiesce, the Chinese in 1894 agreed to a new treaty that \u2018absolutely prohibited\u2019 the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years.\u00a0 Diplomatic relations worsened during the 1890s.\u201d \u2013George Herring,\u00a0<em>From Colony to Superpower,\u00a0<\/em>p. 283<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The complex story that Herring relates over the evolution of Chinese exclusion policy suggests that it was not simply a matter of universal and immoveable white prejudice against Asians.\u00a0 How does he complicate the story?<\/li>\n<li>Yet despite all of the necessary context and appreciation for complexity, the struggle over Chinese exclusion does ultimately come down to the power of popular prejudice.\u00a0 What does this episode (and others documented in this chapter) suggest about the relationship between the making of US foreign policy and domestic politics and attitudes?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_3302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/history\/2018\/10\/30\/birthright-citizenship-trump-inspired-history-lesson-th-amendment\/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.aefdf5c78ddb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3302 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2019\/03\/Wong-Kim-Ark-925x1024.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 925px) 100vw, 925px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2019\/03\/Wong-Kim-Ark-925x1024.jpg 925w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2019\/03\/Wong-Kim-Ark-271x300.jpg 271w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2019\/03\/Wong-Kim-Ark-768x850.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/files\/2019\/03\/Wong-Kim-Ark.jpg 1484w\" alt=\"Wong\" width=\"925\" height=\"1024\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3302\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-3302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wong Kim Ark<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Chinese Exclusion Act<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ourdocuments.gov\/doc.php?flash=false&amp;doc=47\">Chinese Exclusion Act<\/a>\u00a0(1882) (National Archives)<\/li>\n<li>Background on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/history\/2018\/10\/30\/birthright-citizenship-trump-inspired-history-lesson-th-amendment\/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.aefdf5c78ddb\">Wong Kim Ark<\/a>, litigant in Supreme Court case (1898)<\/li>\n<li>Jonathan Katz,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/magazine\/story\/2018\/10\/31\/birthright-citizenship-wong-kim-ark-222098\">\u201cBirth of a Birthright,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0Politico (2018)<\/li>\n<li>OP-ED:\u00a0 Amanda Frost,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/files\/2023\/08\/Frost-2023-op-ed.pdf\">Everyone Born in the United States is a U.S. Citizen. Here\u2019s Why.<\/a>\u00a0<em>Washington Post,\u00a0<\/em>March 28, 2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why did US expansionists fail to achieve so many of their nineteenth-century goals? CHAPTER 7: &#8220;A Good Enough England&#8221;: Foreign Relations in the Gilded Age, 1877-1893 &#8220;Absorbed in domestic problems and less concerned with external threats than at any time in their nation&#8217;s history, Gilded Age Americans elevated traditional doctrines of non-entanglement to holy writ.\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":373,"featured_media":0,"parent":10,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4285","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/373"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4285"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4720,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4285\/revisions\/4720"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-282pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}