John Hay
(1838-1905)
WHO S/HE WAS:
John Hay began his political career as Abraham Lincoln’s private secretary. He went on to serve as the U.S. secretary of state for both William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
WHAT S/HE SAID:
It has been a splendid little war, begun with the highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence and spirit, favored by that Fortune which loves the brave.
WHY S/HE MATTERED:
In the context of _America Becomes a World Power_, Hay took part in the peace negotiations to end the Spanish-American War, contributed to the Boxer Rebellion, promoted an “Open Door” policy in China, and negotiated the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty with Great Britain, giving the United States the rights to build a canal across Panama's isthmus.