New American Diplomacy - Maija

In 1894 China and Japan broke into a war over Korea. The war showed Japan mastered the western technology and industry. Germany, France, Britain, and Russia wanted “leaseholds” with China. President McKinley and John Hay were opposed to this but both of them still supported the “Open Door Policy” meaning all countries could trade with China. In 1899 John Hay sent notes to the 4 countries asking them not to discriminate against nations that were interested in doing business with them. The Society of Harmonious Fists (The Boxers) destroyed “Foreign Devils” and “Chinese Christian Coverts” in 1900. The boxers killed more than 200 foreigners and took others as their prisoners.

       After the German ambassador of China was killed eight nations: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the U.S. began to intervene. Together they all formed an international force of nearly 50,000 troops. Of those troops 3,400 of them were American. The force landed in China to rescue foreigners that had been captured and to destroy the Boxers. The U.S. retained access to China’s trade of tea, spices, and silk. In 1901 President McKinley was attacked by a man named Leon Czolgosz and died a few days after the attack. Theodore Roosevelt then took over the presidency. He was 42 years old and the youngest President to ever take office. The people didn’t like the idea of Roosevelt being anything more than the Vice President. They feared he was too young to know what was best for the people.