IN an age gone by, President’s Day was a patriotic event celebrating President Washington’s birthday (February 22), the creation of the United States of America and the birth of democracy. However, many Americans wanted it to be President Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, in honor of the president that saved the Union.
In 1968, Congress solved the problem by adopting the Uniform Monday Holiday Act on June 28, to be effective in 1971, setting the holiday for the third Monday in February. President Johnson, a democrat and an accidental president, signed it into law.
Perhaps secondary and post-secondary teachers could assign their students to write an essay titled: “How presidential politics has affected the Mariana Islands.” That would be a challenging assignment for both history teachers and students alike.
Here are notes on some presidents who made a significant impact on life in the Marianas.
Most of the early presidents had no idea where the Marianas were located on the globe, just as President McKinley (a Republican) admitted of himself shortly before initiating the Spanish-American War of 1898. McKinley directed the acquisition of America’s new colonial empire, including the acquisition of Hawaii and American Samoa, then the capture and occupation of the Philippines and Guam, leaving the Northern Marianas to be acquired by Germany. McKinley also appointed the first Naval Governor of Guam, establishing martial law under a naval administration that lasted half a century.
Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, admired the Japanese victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), but also became concerned about their growing strength in the Pacific. He created the Great White Fleet and in 1907 sent it into Tokyo Bay, exacerbating tensions between the U.S. and Japan.
William Howard Taft, a Republican, established the Territory of Alaska on August 24, 1912.
Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, maintained a neutral position against Germany in 1914, allowing the German ship SS Comoran to claim asylum in Guam. He declared war against Germany in 1917, leading to the first shots fired by an American in WWI when the Cormoran’s crew skuttled their ship in Apra Harbor on April 7, 1917. Wilson personally drafted the peace treaty ending WWI, including the creation of the League of Nations, which the U.S. never joined. As a result, Japan gained control of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Warren Harding, a Republican, oversaw the creation of the Washington Arms Limitation Treaty, disarming the Japanese Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, leaving it open for Japan to capture in 1941. It would remain disarmed until World War II.
Herbert Hoover, a Republican, gave the world the Great Depression.
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, established the Pacific Fleet at Hawaii in an attempt to deter Japanese aggression in the Pacific. He oversaw America’s involvement World War II, Russia’s pledge to help establish the United Nations, and the military development of Guam.
Harry S. Truman, a Democrat and accidental president, carried through on Roosevelt’s pledge to establish the United Nations, established the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and established self-government and civil rule in Guam.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, placed a security closure on the NMI and Guam in order to operate a clandestine CIA operation on Saipan and Tinian. Economic development for the civilian community was put on hold while the military buildup on Guam continued and the CIA carried out “black ops” against China from Saipan and Tinian.
John Kennedy, a Democrat, shut down the CIA operation on Saipan and Tinian and lifted the security closure on both Guam and NMI, allowing both to begin economic development.
Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, fought against the spread of communism in Vietnam, making Guam a hub of transportation to Southeast Asia.
Richard Nixon, a Republican, returned Iwo Jima and Okinawa to Japan, and negotiated the Covent to create the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including its technical agreement to lease two-thirds of Tinian to the DoD, before being forced to resign.
Gerald Ford, a Republican, signed the Covenant into law.
Ronald Reagan, a Republican, oversaw the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent redevelopment of Europe and NATO.
George W. Bush, a Republican, created the “Great Recession.”
Barrack Obama, a Democrat, pushed through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through Congress. It provided financial assistance to businesses and stopped the Great Recession.
Donald Trump, a Republican, ignored the breakout of Covid-19, then attempted to overturn the results of his failed re-election.
Joe Biden, a Democrat, created ARPA to help the nation recover from Covid-19, much like Obama did with the Great Recession, including millions of dollars to the CNMI and Guam.
Biden is up for re-election. Is it to the advantage of the CNMI to have him re-elected?
If any teachers use this assignment, I would like to read some of the better essays.
The author is a resident of Marpo Heights, Tinian.
