YALE HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS This page intentionally left blank Fighting for American Manhood How M e r Politics Provoked the Spanish-AmeiicaD and PhilippifleAmerican Wars KRISTIN L. HOGANSON Yale University Press New Haven and London Published under the direction of the Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Department of Histoiy of Yale University Publication Data with assistance from the income of the Hoganson, Kristin L. Frederick John Kingsbury Memorial Fund. Fighting for American manhood : how gender politics provoked the Spanish- Copyright © 1998 by Yale University American and Philippine-American Wars / All rights reserved. Kristin L. Hoganson. This book may not be reproduced, in p. cm. — (Yale historical publica* whole or in part, including illustrations, in tions) any form (beyond that copying permitted Includes bibliographical references by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. (p. ) and index. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written ISBN 978-0-300-08554-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) permission from the publishers. 1. Spanish-American War, 1898—Social aspects. 2. Philippines—History— Designed by James J. Johnson and set in Insurrection, 1899-1901—Social aspects. New Caledonia Roman by Running Feet 3. Politicians—United States—Psychol­ Books, Durham, North Carolina. ogy. 4. Masculinity—Political aspects. Printed in the United States of America 5. Sex role—Political aspects—United States—History—19th century. 6. Im­ perialism—United States—History— 19th century. I. Title. II. Series: Yale A catalogue record for this book is avail* historical publications (Unnumbered) able from the British Library. E721.H69 1998 The paper in this book meets the guide* 973.8'9i—dc2i 98-13307 lines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. 10 9 8 7 TO My parents. Chaules, and Jerry Bibliophiles aU This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix List of Abbreviations xi Introduction 1 1. The Manly Ideal of Politics and the Jingoist Desire for War 15 2. Cuba and the Restoration of American Chivalry 43 3. “Honor Comes First”: The Congressional Debate over War 68 4. McKinley’s Backbone: The Coercive Power of Gender in Political Debate 88 5. The Spanish-American War and the Martial Ideal of Citizenship 107 6. The Problem of Male Degeneracy and the Allure of the Philippines 133 7. The National Manhood Metaphor and the Fight over the Fathers in the Philippine Debate 156 8. Imperial Degeneracy: The Dissolution of the Imperialist Impulse 180 Conclusion: Engendering War 200 Notes 209 Bibliography 265 Index 297 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments Like all historians, I owe a tremendous debt to the institutions that hold my source materials and to the librarians, archivists, and interlibrary loan workers who helped me find them. This book was made possible by the staffs and holdings of the Yale University Sterling and Seeley Mudd Libraries, University of Virginia Alderman Library, Harvard University Houghton and Widener Li­ braries, Alabama Department of Archives and History, Cincinnati Historical Society, Connecticut State Library, Cornell University Olin Library, General Federation of Women's Clubs Archives, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Library of Congress, Massachusetts Historical Society, University of Michigan Bentley and Clements Libraries, Minnesota Historical Society, National Ar­ chives, New-York Historical Society, University of North Carolina Wilson Li­ brary, Pettigrew Museum, Radcliffe College Schlesinger Library, Proctor Free Library, Smith College Sophia Smith Collection, Swarthmore College Peace Collection, U.S. Army Military History Research Institute, and the Western Reserve Historical Society. I was able to research and write this book because of the financial sup­ port provided by an Enders dissertation research fellowship, Massachusetts Historical Society research fellowship. University of Michigan Bentley Li­ brary research fellowship, Andrew W. Mellon pre-dissertation research fel­ lowship, North Caroliniana Society Archie K. Davis research fellowship, and an Andrew W. Mellon dissertation fellowship. A Charles Warren Center fel­ lowship enabled me to revise the manuscript for publication in a thought- provoking and collegial environment. Subventions from my great aunt, Esther Nystrom, helped feed, clothe, and shelter me along the way. [ ix ] [ X ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As I strayed from women’s history to gender history to cultural, political, and international relations histoiy in the course of writing this book, I some­ times had the sense of being in a kind of interdisciplinaiy no-mans-land, far from familiar landmarks. But enthusiastic friends, colleagues, and advisers re­ minded me that boundaiy crossing is both a worthwhile exercise and an excit­ ing adventure. That I did not become hopelessly lost in this endeavor owes much to their encouragement and advice. My foremost intellectual debt is to Nancy F. Cott. I feel fortunate to have had the benefit of her astute insights and good judgment ever since my search for a senior essay adviser first led me to her door. David Brion Davis and Paul Kennedy also provided sage guidance as I embarked upon this project. That I did embark upon it is owing, in large part, to José Varela Ortega and Robin Winks, who sparked my early interest in the Spanish-American War and imperial histoiy. I am indebted to Gail Bederman, Amy Kaplan, Walter LaFeber, Frank Ninkovich, and the anonymous readers who took the time to read the entire manuscript and suggest ways to strengthen and clarify my argument. The members of my Cambridge writing group—Elizabeth Abrams, Steve Biel, Jim Cullen, Hildegard Hoeller, Jill Lepore, Allison Pingree, Laura Saltz, and Joy Young—also suggested ways to make my chapters clearer and more com­ pelling; they never failed to inspire a frenzy of rewriting. Joyce Berkman, Oscar V. Campomanes, Frank Costigliola, Peter Filene, John L. Gaddis, Akira Iriye, Ernest May, John Offner, William R. Roberts, Robert Rydell, and partic­ ipants in the Yale International Security Studies round table, the Harvard Con­ temporary Histoiy Circle, and several Warren Center colloquia commented on papers that, shaipened by their remarks, have found their way into this book. Kathleen Dalton, Arthur P. Dudden, Rebecca Edwards, Ruth Feldstein, Laura McCall, Mark R. Shulman, Niná Silber, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich also de­ serve thanks for commenting on parts of the manuscript. Chuck Grench and Otto Bohlmann of Yale University Press guided me through the publishing process, and Lawrence Kenney polished the book in the editing stage. I owe further debts to Ed Balleisen, David Blight, Anne Erling, Emily Gammie, Jim Gammie, Emily Greenwald, Ann Hoganson, Edward Hogan- son, Susan Hunt, Rochelle Kopp, Jane Levey, Ana Romo, Elizabeth Rourke, Kathryn Schifferdecker, Bruce Shulman, and Lorraine Wang, who asked provocative questions, shared ideas, and put me up (and put up with me) as I researched, wrote, and revised this book. My parents, Barbara F. Hoganson and Jerome L. Hoganson, deserve particularly heartfelt thanks. They have contributed to this project in numerous ways, from commenting on rough drafts to providing me with a.peaceful “porch of my own” where I could hide out with the manuscript. My last, and greatest, debt is to Charles F. Gam­ mie, whose good humor, broad perspective, critical eye, and warm compan­ ionship enriched the process of writing this book as well as the final product.