LEONARD WOOD AND THE AMERICAN EMPIRE A Dissertation by JAMES HERMAN PRUITT II Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2011 Major Subject: History Leonard Wood and the American Empire Copyright 2011 James Herman Pruitt II LEONARD WOOD AND THE AMERICAN EMPIRE A Dissertation by JAMES HERMAN PRUITT II Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Brian M. Linn Committee Members, R.J.Q. Adams Charles Hermann H.W. Brands Head of Department, Walter L. Buenger May 2011 Major Subject: History iii ABSTRACT Leonard Wood and the American Empire. (May 2011) James Herman Pruitt II, B.A., King College; M.A., The University of Kentucky Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Brian M. Linn During the ten years following the Spanish American War (1898 to 1908), Major General Leonard Wood served as the primary agent of American imperialism. Wood was not only a proconsul of the new American Empire; he was a symbol of the empire and the age in which he served. He had the distinction of directing civil and military government in Cuba and the Philippines where he implemented the imperial policies given to him by the administrations of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. In Cuba, he labored to rebuild a state and a civil society crippled by decades of revolutionary ferment and guided the administration’s policy through the dangerous channels of Cuban politics in a way that satisfied – at least to the point of avoiding another revolution – both the Cubans and the United States. In the Philippines, Wood took control of the Moro Province and attempted to smash the tribal-religious leadership of Moro society in order to bring it under direct American rule. His personal ideology, the imperial policies he shepherded, and the guidance he provided to fellow military officers and the administrations he served in matters of colonial administration and defense shaped the American Empire and endowed it with his personal stamp. iv To my wonderful and supportive wife Nicole and my three beautiful daughters – Faith, Teagan, and Keileigh SDG – Jeremiah 6:16 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my committee chair, Dr. Brian M. Linn, who has become not only a mentor but a friend. His tireless efforts have made me a better writer and scholar. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Adams, Dr. Hermann, and Dr. Brands, for their guidance and support. Their constant encouragement and excellent example made the dissertation possible. Thanks also go to my friends and colleagues and the department faculty and staff for making my time at Texas A&M University a great experience. Particular thanks are due to Jon Beall who listened patiently to my thoughts on the American Empire and joined me on several research trips to Washington, D.C. A special thanks to James and Connie Pruitt and William and Sue Bate for their encouragement. Finally, I have a tremendous debt to my wife, Nicole Pruitt, for her patience and love and to my daughters – Faith, Teagan, and Keileigh – for their understanding and inventive distractions. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION................................................................................ 1 II THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO .............................................................. 9 The Education of a Frontier Officer.............................................. 10 The Spanish-Cuban-American War .............................................. 13 Preventing a Humanitarian Catastrophe........................................ 16 III PROGRESSIVE IMPERIALISM: THE SANTIAGO MODEL ........ 28 Geopolitical Considerations.......................................................... 29 The Emergence of Leonard Wood ................................................ 32 Progressive Imperialism – The Vision of Leonard Wood............. 37 Conclusion..................................................................................... 60 IV POLICY DEBATES AND IMPERIALISM........................................ 62 Leonard Wood and the 1898 Campaign for Governor.................. 63 Governor John Brooke and the Minimalist Approach .................. 68 The Progressive Campaign for Governor...................................... 74 James Wilson and the Matanzas Alternative................................. 82 Sea Change – The Summer of 1899.............................................. 88 Conclusion..................................................................................... 98 vii CHAPTER Page V BUILDING THE STRUCTURE OF THE STATE ............................. 101 Concentration of Power into the Office of Military Governor...... 102 Municipal Elections....................................................................... 116 Imperial Defense........................................................................... 122 The Constitutional Convention ..................................................... 130 Conclusion..................................................................................... 144 VI EFFORTS TO BUILD A CUBAN NATION ...................................... 146 General Governance...................................................................... 146 Financing the Reforms .................................................................. 148 Reconstituting Municipal Government ......................................... 153 Sanitation and Public Health......................................................... 160 Public Works................................................................................. 172 Economic Development ................................................................ 181 Public Education ........................................................................... 190 Law and Order............................................................................... 197 Conclusion..................................................................................... 206 VII IN THE MORO PROVINCE............................................................... 208 Interlude ........................................................................................ 209 The Moro Province........................................................................ 214 The Civil Administration .............................................................. 224 Financing the Civil Government................................................... 230 Economic Development ................................................................ 239 Public Works................................................................................. 244 Public Education ........................................................................... 249 Public Health................................................................................. 255 Conclusion..................................................................................... 258 VIII IMPERIAL DEFENSE IN THE PHILIPPINES.................................. 260 The Department of Mindanao....................................................... 261 The Philippines Division............................................................... 279 Conclusion..................................................................................... 287 IX CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 289 viii Page REFERENCES.......................................................................................................... 296 APPENDIX A ........................................................................................................... 316 VITA ......................................................................................................................... 332 ix LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 5:1 Provincial Statistics for Voters in the Municipal Elections .................... 121 5:2 Voters in the Elections for the Constitutional Convention by Province . 134 6:1 Revenue and Disbursements ................................................................... 149 6:2 Customs Revenue Compared to Total Insular Revenue.......................... 150 6:3 Revenue from Sources other than Customs ............................................ 151 6:4 Expenditure per Appropriation Related to Municipalities ...................... 160 6:5 Number of Children in the State Support System at Date....................... 167 6:6 Number of Patients at the General Asylum for the Insane at Mazorra at Date ............................................................ 168 6:7 Expenditure per Appropriation Related to Sanitation and Public Health 172 6:8 Expenditure per Appropriation Related to Public Works ...................... 181 6:9 Expenditure per Appropriation Related to Economic Development ...... 190 6:10