Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 7-26-2021 1:00 PM Colonial Education as a Mode of Governance in the Philippines Under U.S. Rule, 1900-1916 David C.S. Buglass, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Schumacher, Frank, The University of Western Ontario : Sendzikas, Aldona, The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Master of Arts degree in History © David C.S. Buglass 2021 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Buglass, David C.S., "Colonial Education as a Mode of Governance in the Philippines Under U.S. Rule, 1900-1916" (2021). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7966. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7966 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract Concentrating on colonial education policy in the Philippines during the period of U.S. rule, this thesis explores the dynamics of knowledge circulation – namely the transfer and continuities of racial preconceptions and administrative techniques – within the American imperial enterprise. Mapping the emergence of the U.S. colonial administration in the islands with the establishment of the Taft Commission in 1900 to the move Filipino self-rule with the passage of the Philippine Autonomy Act in 1916, this thesis assesses elite commentaries and discourses concerning the management of non-white subject populations and the contingent manner in which these policies corresponded to or differed in their formulation and execution according to their respective zones of application. Spanning the contours of knowledge transfers in the trans-imperial and intra-imperial arenas, it analyses the interactions and exchanges between congruent and disparate colonial jurisdictions – both within the U.S. empire and among the neighboring possessions of their European peers. Keywords U.S. colonial empire, U.S. imperialism, Philippines, colonial education, knowledge exchanges, trans-imperial, inter-imperial, intra-imperial, colonialism, national- exceptionalism, ethnocentrism, race, assimilation, civilizing mission. Summary for Lay Audience For my thesis I assume an institutional lens to assess the U.S. education regime in the Philippines. Analyzing elite commentaries and discourses, my research explores the perspectives of critical decision makers and functionaries within the American colonial administration in the Philippines, U.S. government, and private actors in philanthropic- missionary bodies such as the Lake Mohonk Conference of Friends of the Indian and Other Dependent Peoples. Assessing the circulation of concepts and practices between maJor centers of power, these accounts serve to highlight the ideological intersections between governmental and non-governmental actors in the U.S. colonial lobby and their codependence in the process of knowledge formulation, particularly in the fluid transition ii from settler colonial expansion at the end of the 19th century to the nation’s formal embrace of overseas imperialism in the years following the Spanish American War of 1898. This thesis analyzes the ethnocentric foundations of the ideological precepts that the U.S. sought to impart on its overseas subjects in the Philippines. Drawing upon the precedents of educational models devised for African Americans and Native Americans in the nation’s experience of transcontinental expansion, these modes of curriculum were disseminated from the continental sphere and subsequently refashioned to accommodate new environments and subjects overseas. Moving beyond studies that have traditionally emphasized primacy of industrial education within the colonial curriculum and the imperatives of capital and material development, my analysis explores contemporary currents of moral and civics curriculum forged within the ethnocentric bounds of the nation’s prevailing Anglo-American, English speaking, Protestant social order and turn of the century Progressivism. Interlinked with issues of curriculum and ideology, my thesis addresses questions surrounding the circulation, exchange, and expression of knowledge across imperial Jurisdictions. Moving away from nationalist-exceptionalist narratives, this thesis evaluates the trans-imperial dimensions of knowledge formation within U.S. colonial education policy. Thus, I consider how American policymakers conceptualized and interpreted the curricular policies of their European counterparts in other colonial possessions, namely the Dutch East Indies. Furthermore, I assess the configurations of knowledge construction within the intra- imperial arena, addressing how curricular formations differed between the Moro peoples in the Southern Philippines and those of the Christian populations in rest of the archipelago. iii Acknowledgments For as long as I can remember, I have always possessed a strong interest in the foreign policy of the United States. Like many born around the millennium, I grew up observing the excesses of America’s War on Terror and the nation’s interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. These events shaped my understanding of the U.S. as a global superpower and its proclivity to intercede overseas in order to mold other nations in its image. Observing these misadventures in overseas statecraft over the last twenty years, I have realized that it is incumbent to look back to the past colonial undertakings in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Philippines and occupations of nations such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti in order to understand the proselytizing, zealous character of notions of American exceptionalism and how this shaped their interactions with weaker, peripheral countries. Over the last two years, I have undertaken an expansive project that I never would have foreseen myself completing. Whether in terms of the depth of research, the scale of writing, or the length of time editing, my thesis project has proven to be a test of my capacities to adapt and overcome even the most stressful of obstacles. In light of the global pandemic, I, along with everyone else, have had to wholly reorient my routine by working from home without immediate access to the resources available on campus. Furthermore, in regard to source base, I have had to rely on digital sources and was unable to travel to the University of Michigan to access the Dean Worcester Philippine History Collection and The Bentley Historical Library. Regardless, I am more than happy with the work I have produced despite external unforeseen circumstances. Among all others, I wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Frank Schumacher for his meticulous feedback and guidance. It was in his graduate course on Colonialism that I discovered the topic of American education policy in the Philippines. Over the course of the last two years, he has provided me with extensive advice and literary recommendations that have enabled me to expand the contours of my research. In addition, he has devoted countless hours to reviewing my drafts, compiling his feedback and meeting with me on a monthly basis to keep each other up to date on my progress. I am forever grateful for the time and energy that he has put forth to assist me in this endeavor. I would also like to thank Dr. Aldona Sendzikas for her supplemental feedback on my thesis. While Dr. Schumacher’s advice lent to the content and context of my work, Dr. iv Sendzikas was vital to the presentation and structure of the final paper. This, for which, I am very appreciative. Beyond my supervisors, I must extend my gratitude to the Department of History more broadly. In particular, Kara Brown has emerged as not only an instrumental figure in helping me to navigate the technical and procedural aspects of the thesis process, but as an advocate and confidant in my personal affairs. Thank you to all the office staff and administrators in particular, Dr. Francine McKenzie, and Dr. Laurel Shire, for all that you do for the department and its students. Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, I began to consider my options for graduate school. My learning difficulties in public school though high school made me determined to emphasize education and view excelling in academics as a source of achievement and personal growth. To this end, I must thank Dr. Stephanie Bangarth for her emphasis on academic rigor and her vote of confidence as I advanced through my years at King’s University College. My thanks are also extended to Dr. Eric Jarvis for innumerable hours of face-to-face interaction in office hours discussing everything from current events to charting my academic future. In addition to King’s faculty, on main campus, I would like to thank Dr. Luz Maria Hernandez-Saenz for her approachability and willingness to help me navigate graduate applications while also discussing Latin American politics. Outside of campus the list of those to thank grows long. Thank you to my friends and family who have stuck by me through the years. In particular, Davis Whittington-Heeney and Allison McDougall have provided me years of intellectual stimulation, support and love. Our debates run long without animus and there is never a shortage of our mutual loves of music and LP records. From my father, Peter Buglass, I have inherited an intellectual inclination and interest in history and politics. From my mother, Catherine Peacock, her judicious disposition and work ethic. During my formative years their advocacy for academic support gave me the necessary footing to cultivate and hone my capacities, for which I am forever grateful. I thank you and I love you both. I must also extend my thanks to my late grandfather, David Robert Moysey Buglass, with whom I share a passion for history as well as a name. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran who lived through four reigning monarchs. His accumulated wisdom over his 96-year life provided me with not only entertainment, but an appreciation for the value of historical knowledge.