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Related: • Spy Plane Crew Returns to U.S. • Blast from the Past: Sun Yat-sen in the United States

Moments in Time with Bill Ong Hing

Sun Yat-sen in the United States

The crisis between the United States and the People’s Republic of China this past week provides an opportunity to recall Sun Yat-sen — the son of peasants who is regarded as the father of the revolution that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1912. He is the only modern hero of both the PRC and the Republic of China (Taiwan). To gain support for the revolution, he traveled to the United States in the early part of the last century.

Sun sought support from the United States “because you are the pioneers of Western civilization; because you are a Christian nation; because we intend to model our new government after yours; and above all, because you are the champions of liberty and democracy.” He also wanted support from Chinese in America.

Sun arrived in Hawaii in the fall of 1903, but after six months of campaigning, only had “several tens” of new recruits. While in the Islands, Sun joined the local branch of the secret society Triads, hoping this would help him with the Cantonese in the United States. While in Hawaii, he managed to raise some funds by offering “patriotic bonds” at $10, redeemable for $100 after the revolution.

These successes encouraged Sun to turn his attention to the Chinese communities in North America. Sun arrived in San Francisco in early 1904, and was detained. He was recognized and denounced by employees of the Customs Service who happened to be members of the Society to Protect the Emperor. The intervention of a Chinese pastor and the head of the local Triads helped to extricate Sun from this tricky situation after several weeks. Next, came seven months of frustration. Deprived of basic civil liberties — including the right to become naturalized American citizens — Chinese laborers felt like “men without a country” and many were probably exhilarated by Sun’s confident platform manner and his promise of a powerful home government to protect their interests. He was hoping to raise a sizable sum, but instead he raised $4,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area, then spent it all on a fruitless coast-to-coast tour that included Los Angeles, New Orleans, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. He was practically penniless when he reached New York in December.

While in New York, he met students at a Chinese mission, one of whom helped Sun write a pamphlet The True Solution of the Chinese Question, his first appeal to Americans. Sun had his thoughts in order, and his democratic slogan in his pocket, when he left New York for Europe in the spring of 1905.

The successful revolution that ultimately erupted in Wuchang on October 10, 1911, was a missed appointment with history. Neither the Revolutionary Alliance party nor its president, Sun, played any role in sparking off the events that led to the collapse of the Manchu empire. Sun did become the president of a provisional republic with shaky authority, but his republic was soon replaced by a military dictatorship.