Portrait: AI-generated imagined likeness
Politician · Writer · Journalist
Diplomat and Secretary of State of the United States. He advocated an open-door policy toward China and demonstrated American diplomacy in the era of imperialism. He was a person who thought about the division of the world at the end of the 19th century.
View in catalogWashington, D.C.
Work
Open Door Notes
1899–1900
Other
Open Door Policy
1899–1900
Political event · Leader
Map: Natural Earth (PD)
Educated in the United States, he gained political experience as President Lincoln's secretary. After the Civil War, America became increasingly interested in the Pacific and Asia while promoting domestic integration.
As Secretary of State, he issued the Open Door Order and opposed the establishment of the influence of great powers in the Chinese market. The United States' policy toward China advocated equality of trade opportunity rather than territorial division.
The Open Door Policy advocated the principle of free trade, but it also reflected the benefits of America's access to the Chinese market. It must be read as a diplomatic document in which ideology and national interests overlap.
Studying John Hay shows that American imperialism was developed not only through colonial possessions, but also through markets, commerce, naval power, and diplomatic correspondence. He is an important figure in understanding international relations in East Asia. We can also read the dynamics of great power diplomacy surrounding the division of China.
