Roosevelt's Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program | Generated by AI
Yes, that’s essentially true, though with some minor clarifications on the details. The “roselvt” you mentioned is likely referring to Theodore Roosevelt, who was the U.S. President from 1901 to 1909. The “yihetuan” (also known as the Boxers or the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists) were involved in the Boxer Rebellion (or Boxer Uprising) in China around 1900, during which they targeted and killed foreigners, including missionaries and diplomats, amid anti-foreign and anti-Christian sentiments.
In his State of the Union address to Congress on December 3, 1907, Roosevelt proposed remitting (returning) a significant portion of the excessive Boxer Indemnity funds that China was required to pay the U.S. as reparations after the rebellion. The U.S. share had been set at over $24 million (later adjusted), but actual damages were lower, so he suggested canceling China’s obligation for the excess amount (around $11-13 million). This was positioned as a gesture of friendship and goodwill toward China.
Roosevelt connected this to education by advocating that the U.S. should help educate the Chinese people to help the country adapt to modern conditions. Historical accounts indicate he viewed the ignorance and lack of modern education among the Chinese populace as a contributing factor to the “crazy” or irrational actions during the Boxer Rebellion, such as the violence against foreigners. Instead of keeping the full indemnity, the remitted funds were ultimately used to establish scholarships for Chinese students to study in the U.S. (the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program) and to fund the creation of Tsinghua University in Beijing (initially as a preparatory school for students heading to America).
This initiative began in 1908 after congressional approval, and it marked a significant early example of U.S.-China educational exchange.
Boxer Indemnity Scholarship - Wikipedia
December 3, 1907: Seventh Annual Message | Miller Center
Chinese students in US can be agents of peace - Chinadaily.com.cn