William McKinley: “Benevolent Assimilation” Proclamation

William McKinley was president of the United States during the period of overseas expansion that grew out of the war with Spain in 1898. The United States took possession of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines following the war and was faced with how to control its new territories’ resources and people. A popular speaker as a campaigner, McKinley wrote presidential messages and delivered addresses that proved significant in persuading Americans to adopt this expanded world role at the end of the nineteenth century. At a time when radio did not yet exist, the president had to make his case through the prose that his constituents read in their newspapers or in pamphlet form. McKinley proved quite adept at framing arguments that would convince citizens of the wisdom of the course he was proposing. In his “Benevolent Assimilation” Proclamation, the president stresses that the United States is now in control of the Philippines after signing a peace treaty with Spain. He makes it clear that the Filipinos are to acknowledge that the United States now has military and political control of the Philippines and to adopt American political values, but also that the United States’ purpose there is a friendly one, with a goal of protecting the inhabitants, not conquering them. By today’s standards, there is an imperialistic atmosphere imbedded in McKinley’s letter.