Salem Press

APRIL 2008
Milestone Documents in American History
combines the full-text of iconic primary source documents with riveting, readable analysis by esteemed historians.

APRIL 2009
American Leaders
offers a unique biographical approach to the study of primary source documents, featuring a significant number of each leaders original texts.

OCTOBER 2009
World History extends the series into world history, from ancient times to today. Key documents from all important world cultures are included.

APRIL 2010
African American Leaders profiles influential African Americans. Each entry presents the full text of important primary source documents written by the person in question, as well as an original essay.

OCTOBER 2010
World Religions examines the key texts of the world's primary religions, from ancient times to the present.

Milestone Documents of American Leaders
William McKinley:
Questions for Further Study

1. Three documents—the message to Congress about intervention in Cuba, the “benevolent assimilation” proclamation, and the Home Market Club speech—serve to present McKinley’s case for the war against Spain and for the occupation of the Philippines that followed. Compare the means by which he addresses various audiences in these documents: first Congress, where he faced opposition from Democrats; then the secretary of war, a member of his own executive branch; and finally the supportive group assembled at the Home Market Club. Consider similarities and differences in the ways he communicates with each. What themes remain consistent and in what ways does McKinley alter his approach for a particular audience? Evaluate his overall effectiveness in presenting a rationale for intervention and occupation.

2. As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States gained control over three former Spanish possessions: Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. U.S. administrations, beginning with McKinley’s, would deal quite differently with these entities: Cuba gained official independence soon after the conclusion of hostilities, but a strong U.S. influence there continued until 1959, whereas the Philippines did not achieve sovereignty until 1946 and Puerto Rico remains a U.S. possession. In what ways do McKinley’s statements, particularly with regard to Cuba and the Philippines, prefigure this differing treatment? Evaluate the relative success or failure of Washington to maintain continued good relations with each entity and its citizenry. Consider those instances (most notably, during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962) that highlight the strategic value of, and America’s ongoing interest in, the former Spanish possessions.

3. Though McKinley is remembered as an effective communicator within the political landscape of his era, in many cases his use of language makes comprehension difficult for a modern reader. For example, the second paragraph of his message to Congress about Cuba is a single lengthy sentence with a number of clauses that, from a contemporary viewpoint at least, collectively hinder rather than enhance communication. How might McKinley, were he alive at the beginning of the twenty-first century, present his ideas? Consider particular passages and examples of his wording, and restate these in contemporary language. Pay special attention to his use of terminology unfamiliar to the modern ear, as well as words and phrases (“savage,” “benevolent assimilation”) likely to be deemed inappropriate by the standards of our own time.

4. In his final speech, delivered at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, McKinley addresses issues, such as international trade and the influence of developing technologies, that continue to dominate headlines our own time. Globalization, one of the leading concerns in the contemporary political landscape, was then in its infancy, yet McKinley observed a number of challenges and opportunities likely to arise in the wake of increased international trade and communication. In what ways is this speech forward looking and relevant to our own time? How might McKinley, if he were alive today, regard the contemporary global environment and its contradictions—for example, the fact that U.S. products such as Coca-Cola exert enormous influence, yet manufacturing jobs have shifted away from the United States? Underlying many of his comments on technology is the “idea of progress”: the belief, common in his time, that humanity was on the path to greater and greater success and well-being, thanks to technology. In what ways does such a standpoint seem naive or outdated today and in what ways is the “idea of progress” still relevant?