Table Of ContentYALE 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.
