Pro-Colonialism Propaganda: How Do We See The Effects Today?
We are living in the remains of colonialism, such colonialism that is not even two hundred years old. For example the overtaking and cultural assimilation of the Philippines during the late 1800s and early 1900s as a result of the Spanish-American War, which eventually led to the Filipino-American War. These catastrophic events in history were primarily caused by the ideas of manifest destiny sought after the United States as an imperial power. Its greed for territorial land and control shaped the lives of the native people of those lands in ways unimaginable.
During this time, many artists captured the history of the ideas and emotions the imperial powers wanted others to consume, believe, and uphold. They used visual rhetoric through extreme exaggeration and corruption.
The political cartoon above, which was seen on a Judge magazine cover in June of 1899, was used as propaganda after the Spanish-American war was over and the United States was given control over the Philippines, Guam, Cuba, and Puerto Rico from Spain through the passing of the Treaty of Paris. This piece displays a crying, naked, indigenous Filipino child with an arrow in his hand being given his "first" bath by William McKinley, the U.S. president at the time. In this "first bath," the child is being washed using the waters of "civilization" and the brush of "education". In the background, there are two other children, who represent Cuba and Puerto Rico, who appear to have already been bathed as they have Americanized clothes on and no noticeable traditional attire.
The visual presence of the American Flag in the new clothes of the recently acquired territories and what appears to be the White House in the background create a sense of patriotism in the image. This might invoke the intended audience to believe what the U.S. is doing, especially President McKinley exclaiming “Oh, you dirty boy!”, is only doing what is best for the people of those lands. The ideas of Rudyard Kipling’s poem "The White Man's Burden" are exemplified through this and many similar propaganda posters. Such as this:
And this:
And this:
Grant Hamilton, Judge Magazine, 14 December 1902
All of these propaganda posters are racist and meant to harm the people from these places who had establishments, systems of governance, skills, labor, vegetation, and cultural traditions that were already allowing them to live and thrive. Visual media like this, even used today, create generalizations and harmful ideas to the people consuming them on a daily. But, that gives us the opportunity and duty to punch up against it!
