476. The First US President Who Spoke Chinese

My readers might have noticed that the main founders of the United States loved China and its culture. They borrowed from China industrial technologies and agricultural plants to improve the society of North America. For them,  Chinese civilization was so charming and attractive that some of them event tried to learn Chinese.  With this post I would like to introduce you the first US president who spoke Chinese.

The 31^st president Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the first president who could speak fluent Chinese. It seems that he was born with some bonds with China. He was born in WestBranch, Iowa on August 10, 1874. It was the ninety years’ anniversary of the successful sail of the Empress of China, the first US commercial ship reached China's shore in August 1784.

Lou Henry, Hoover's wife and Hoover learned Chinese while they worked in China in the early 20th century. Some records show that they spoke Chinese at the White House when they prevented people from hearing what they talked about.  (David King, Herbert Hoover, Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, ISBN 0-7614-3626-X). 

In the early years of the 20th century Hoover worked as an engineer in Kaiping Mine, Hebei Province of China. Chinese characters on the picture read "Kaiping Mine." 

433. David Brooks, Barack Obama and the Founders

I like reading history. I have been attracted by the founders' efforts to borrow from Chinese civilization in the time when they unfold the history of this nation. One of the most important Chinese cultural elements they borrowed is some Confucius moral principles. I say some because that they didn't borrow all teachings of Confucius. They chose to use the Confucius teachings on personal moral cultivation to build new virtue for the citizen of the new country. I don't have to talk about that here. You can read Dr. Dave Wang's paper, Confucius in American Founding.

David Brooks' op-ed article, I Miss Barack Obama, The New York Times, February 9, 2016. caught my eyes several days ago. I have perceived something familiar with my findings in the founders, who urged new Americans to advance their virtue to meet requirements of the new nation. "Obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that I am beginning to miss."

Obama's following founders' example in virtue building is by no means a matter of coincidence. Like the founders of the United States, President Obama has drawn wisdoms from Chinese classics. In a speech he said, "Thousands of years ago, the great philosopher Mencius said: 'A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time.' Our task is to forge a path to the future that we seek for our children -- to prevent mistrust or the inevitable differences of the moment from allowing that trail to be blocked by grass; to always be mindful of the journey that we are undertaking together."

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT THE U.S./CHINA STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC DIALOGUE July 27, 2009

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Washington, D.C.

246. Historical Story or Historical Tradition?

To borrow from Chinese culture is not a historical story, but a historical tradition started by the founders of the United States. Former President Bill Clinton has tirelessly and earnestly exhorted Americans that “success in the twenty-first century world requires Americans to be curious enough to learn from other countries.”

Clinton’s admonition is of particular significance now that the United States is once again facing tremendous, unprecedented challenges both domestically and abroad. It has been a great tradition of the United States to learn from other countries. I want to show readers how political and military leaders, including the founding fathers of the United States, have used Chinese wisdoms to overcome obstacles on their roads to victories.

In fact, some eminent leaders of the North American colonies paid attention to Chinese culture long before this country was founded. Traditional Chinese civilization has served as a priceless treasure from which the American leaders constantly draw wisdom. Numerous American political leaders, from the US founders to contemporary presidents, have sought enlightenment from traditional Chinese culture.

224. The First Five Presidents and China

 I have found the very interesting historical fact between the United States and China. The first five presidents of the United States from George Washington (1789-1797) to John Adams (1797-1801), Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), James Madison (1809-1817) and James Monroe (1817-1825) were all interested in using Chinese cultural elements in their efforts to build the new nation.

From Dr. Wang's paper,"With China We Trade," we have learned that George Washington strongly supported the fledgling United States to establish direct economic relationship with China. Dr. Wang's paper, "All Posterity Would Remember My Legacy: Thomas Jefferson and a Legendary Chinese Prince" tells its readers that Thomas Jefferson, who enormously concerned about his reputation and honor, regarded the well-loved and respected Chinese Prince WEI, featured in the Great Learning, one of the canons of Confucianism as an exemplary role model for other leaders.

James Madison, the father of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, hung a portrait of Confucius at his home. He also owned a copy of the Great Learning, one of the four classics of Confucianism.

James Monroe became the first president that started direct communication between a president of the United States and a Chinese emperor. In 1822 he wrote a letter to Chinese emperor. Interestingly enough, Monroe’s 179 year old letter was bought by an absentee bidder at a New York Auction in 2001. The bidder paid about $20,000. It will be great if the bidder can release the content of the letter to researchers, students and general readers. This letter will no doubt deepen our knowledge on the founders who were interested in building relations with China.

222. Did the Founders Believe U.S. Will Decline?

In the posting, "American Power after bin Laden," at CNN on May 6, 2011 you will find the following statement from Dr. Joseph S. Nye , "The Founding Fathers worried about comparisons to the decline of the Roman republic." I think that Professor Nye stretched a little bit too much in order to find foundation for supporting his cultural pessimism. Actually, the founders were very confident when they made the new nation. Do you believe that the founders wanted to build a nation where they were unsure of its stability?

On September 1787 at the signing of the United States Constitution, looking towards George Washington’s chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, Benjamin Franklin made the following speech, “I have often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun.” Journal of the Constitutional Convention (17 September 1787) Franklin's above statement demonstrates that the founding fathers' confidence for the future of the United States.

The task the founders faced was not easy. The British Empire used all its ingenuity to nip at the fledgling republic. However, the economic disorder created by the British blockades didn’t stop the founders’ determination to build the new nation into a beacon for the rest of the world. The founders decided to open trade with China as soon as the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. President Ronald Reagan expressed his apreciation on April 27, 1984, for China's help to bring US to world commerce. He told his audience, "Back in 1784, when the first American trading ship, the Empress of China, entered your waters, my country was unknown to you. We were a new republic, eager to win a place in international commerce." (Ronald Reagan, Remarks to Chinese Community Leaders in Beijing, China, April 27, 1984). Reagan demonstrated that he was great president by showing his appreciation to the friend who helped the US in its most difficult time. The trade with China helped the United States overcome the economic difficult during its formative age.

183. United States Presidents and China

In the following I will introduce you some interesting facts related to United States Presidents and China:

01. The first US president who supported US China Trade, George Washington (1732-1799)
02. The first US President who studied Chinese Classics,--Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
03. The first US President who visited China, Ulysses Grant (1822-1885). He met Li Hongzhang (1823-1901), at Tianjin in 1879.
04. The first US president who spoke Chinese, Herbert Hoover (1874-1964). There are many stories about Hoover in China. Here is one of them.
05. The first US president who fought side by side with China, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)
06. The first US president who fought against China, Harry Truman (1884-1972)
07. The first US sitting president who visited China, Richard Nixon (1913-1994)