Chapter 17 Chapter Six Contributions of Overseas Chinese in America to the Motherland
The Americas were the base of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of China's anti-imperialist and anti-feudal bourgeois democratic revolution, in the early stages of his overseas revolutionary activities.
In 1894, the Xingzhonghui was established in Honolulu, USA. In 1911, the Wuchang Uprising overthrew the Qing government, and Sun Yat-sen became the interim president of the Republic of China. Later, he carried out the second revolution against Yuan, and initially completed the historical task of this national democratic revolution.Over the past 17 years, overseas Chinese in America have made great efforts and made immortal contributions to overthrowing the imperial system and establishing the Republic of China.Mr. Sun Yat-sen spoke highly of the outstanding contributions of overseas Chinese in America and other regions: "Overseas Chinese are the mother of revolution."
Honolulu in the United States was the birthplace of Sun Yat-sen's overseas anti-Qing revolution.Honolulu is the center of Hawaii's politics, economy, culture and education. At the end of the 18th century, indentured Chinese laborers began to arrive in Honolulu. Since 1851, Chinese laborers have moved in on a large scale. By 1910, the number of Chinese laborers had reached 21,674, accounting for 11.3% of the island’s population. The Chinese laborers who went to Honolulu were earlier than those who went to the American mainland. And the ratio is also high.Most of the early Chinese laborers who went to Honolulu came from Xiangshan County (now Zhongshan County) in Guangdong.In the early days, overseas Chinese had strong economic strength in Xiangshan.
Mr. Sun Yat-sen’s elder brother, Sun Mei, crossed the sea and arrived in Honolulu to make a living in 1871. He was a wealthy farmer on Maui Island, and he also ran business in Kehelei. He was a well-known overseas Chinese capitalist in the local area. "The name. From 1878 to 1883, Sun Yat-sen studied at the Iolan School and O'Ahou College in Honolulu, which were established by the British and American Churches. In 1884, he worked as a clerk in Sun Mei's store.Here, he came into contact with advanced science and technology and advanced bourgeois thought, which greatly broadened his horizons.Sun Yat-sen has been to Honolulu six times since 1878, and his sojourn lasted for five and a half years.
In the early days, Sun Yat-sen had a strong desire to "save the country by industry" or to save China through the improved method of "reforming the state".In 1894, he wrote the "Shang Li Hongzhang Book" to Li Hongzhang, and went to Tianjin with his colleagues to meet Li Hongzhang in person to discuss improvement matters.After the failure of the petition and the face-to-face discussion, Sun Yat-sen clearly realized that "the Qing government has accumulated many evils, and there is no cure for it. Unless it is completely reformed, it will never be enough to save the nation."Resolutely embarked on the road of revolution.
In order to maintain its crumbling rule, the Qing government strengthened its collusion with imperialism and stepped up its suppression of the Chinese people.Mr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary struggle naturally became a thorn in the flesh and a thorn in the side of the Qing government, and tried to suppress it.In order to further carry out the revolutionary struggle, Sun Yat-sen arrived in Honolulu via Japan in the winter of 1894.
After Sun Yat-sen arrived in Honolulu, he actively promoted the revolution among the overseas Chinese, and won the response of Song Juren, Xia Baizi, Deng Yinnan, etc. who were engaged in business. On November 24, Sun Yat-sen and more than 20 overseas Chinese, including Chen Mengqian, Huang Bao, Feng Yongming, and Li Xianxiang, held a meeting at the residence of He Kuan, the Chinese manager of the American Bank of China, elected overseas Chinese Liu Xiangren as the first chairman, and organized China's first A bourgeois revolutionary organization - Xingzhonghui.In the charter of the Revival of China, Sun Yat-sen sternly denounced the Qing government's reactionary rule of "slavery harming the country and poisoning the common people" and lashing out at the aggressive activities of the world powers to "cannibalize" China. For the first time, he loudly proposed "revitalizing China" " revolutionary slogan.In the oath he wrote for the Xingzhonghui later, Sun Yat-sen also put forward the revolutionary program of "expelling the Tartars, restoring China, and establishing a United Government". A model bourgeois republic.Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary activities among overseas Chinese in America gradually awakened the overseas Chinese in the Americas and joined the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolutionary ranks led by Mr. Sun Yat-sen.Before the founding of the Tongmenghui, there were a total of 286 members in the roster of Xingzhonghui, among which 126 overseas Chinese joined the association in Honolulu in the winter of 1894.The establishment of Xingzhonghui played an important role in the early revolutionary activities led by Sun Yat-sen.
Xingzhonghui created organizational conditions for the establishment of the Chinese Revolutionary League (Tongmenghui for short). In August 1905, under the initiative of Sun Yat-sen, on the basis of Xingzhonghui and Huaxinghui, contacted the Restoration Association, established the Tongmenghui in Tokyo, Japan, appointed Sun Yat-sen as the prime minister, and Huang Xing and others were divided into assistants, executive, appraisal and judicial. The three ministries worked to establish a nationwide revolutionary organization.Determine the political platform as "expel the Tartars, restore China, establish the Republic of China, and equalize land rights", formulate documents such as the "Military Government Declaration", "General Chapter of the Chinese League", and "Revolutionary Strategy", and establish the "Min Bao" to launch a campaign against the reformers. Controversy; establish revolutionary organizations at home and abroad, contact overseas Chinese, congregation parties and the new army, and make organizational preparations for overthrowing the Qing government.
After the founding of the Rejuvenation Society, Sun Yat-sen made preparations for the realization of his revolutionary program in two aspects: one was to create revolutionary public opinion, and to launch a big debate with the constitutional monarchy reformers represented by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, so as to improve the morale of overseas Chinese in America and the Chinese people. Revolutionary consciousness; one is to actively prepare and implement an armed uprising to finally end the rule of the imperial system in China.
In the debate with the constitutional monarchy reformers, the overseas Chinese society in America was the main place where the revolutionaries and the constitutional monarchy reformers had a big debate.
After the failure of the Reform Movement in 1898, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao fled to Japan successively.They founded the "Qing Yi Bao" in Japan, advocating "rejecting the empress and protecting the emperor", and still carried out activities to protect the emperor with the thought of "foolish loyalty" to Emperor Guangxu. On July 20, 1899, Kang Youwei and others arrived in Canada and established the "Association to Save Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty".The royalists used the preaching that protecting the emperor would not lead to the country's subjugation, and baited overseas Chinese in the Americas with the belief that if you have meritorious service to the emperor, you will be rewarded for your merits in the future, promoted to a higher position, and made a fortune.Liang Qichao also used the lies of "revolution and imperialism are two things, different names but the same reality", and "revolution under the name of imperialism" to deceive overseas Chinese and greatly undercut the revolutionaries.Kang Youwei publicly threw out "A Book of Debate on Revolution——Books of Chinese Merchants in North and South America" to attack revolution and defend the Qing government; The subjugation of the country, the dissemination of the wisdom of the Chinese people, the inability to practice democracy, and so on.Kang and Liang's royalist remarks and activities once confused many overseas Chinese and made them join the royalist society.In a very short period of time, overseas Chinese in the Americas had set up 11 Royalist Association headquarters and 86 branches, including 12 in Canada, 58 in the United States, nine in Mexico, four in Central America, and three in South America.And published royalist publications in Honolulu, San Francisco and other places, trying to slander the revolution.
If the influence of the royalists is not eliminated, the revolution will suffer.For this reason, in October 1903, Sun Yat-sen arrived in Honolulu from Japan, and successively published two articles in the "Honolulu New News" hosted by the overseas Chinese Cheng Weinan, "Respect to the Fellow Country" and "Refuting the Emperor Baobao". He fought tit-for-tat against royalist rhetoric against the principle that he could never save the country.In order to obtain the support of the Hongmen Association, an overseas Chinese organization, Sun Yat-sen joined the Hongmen Association on November 2, 1903 at the suggestion of his uncle Yang Wenna, a member of the Hongmen Society, and the introduction of Zhong Feiyang, a senior Hongmen member.Since then, relying on the support of the Hongmen Association, Sun Yat-sen gradually eliminated the influence of the Kang and Liang royalist forces among the overseas Chinese in Honolulu.
On April 6, 1904, Sun Yat-sen left Honolulu and arrived in the United States. When he landed in San Francisco, he was plotted against by royalist forces. He was once detained by the US Immigration Service. After winning the case, he was released from prison with honor.After Sun Yat-sen was released from prison, he intensified his struggle against the royalist forces in the United States.
In order to make the Hongmenhui-Zhigongtang overseas Chinese support the motherland's revolution, Sun Yat-sen replaced the editor-in-chief of "Datong Daily" who worked for the royalists, making him cry for the motherland's revolution and create public opinion; "Revolutionary Army" to publicize the purpose of the revolution.Sun Yat-sen reworked the general constitution of the Hongmenhui-Zhigongtang, stipulating: "The purpose of this hall is to expel the Tartars, restore China, establish the Republic of China, and equalize land rights." The door will re-register and straighten out the mind.Through Sun Yat-sen's efforts in many ways, the Hongmen Society in the United States has gradually become a revolutionary overseas Chinese organization.Afterwards, when Sun Yat-sen established the Tongmenghui, the predecessor of the Kuomintang in Japan, a branch was also established in San Francisco, USA. After approval by Huang Sande, the American branch of the Tongmenghui merged with the Hongmenhui Unanimous Court, gradually bringing Zhigongtang into the orbit of revolution.
During the Revolution of 1911, Sun Yat-sen and the revolutionaries established many publications in the Americas successively in order to effectively launch the struggle against the royalists, including Datong Daily (1902, San Francisco), Honan New News (1903) , Honolulu), "Minsheng Daily" (1906, Honolulu), "Huaying Daily" (1907, Vancouver), "Liberty News" (1907, Honolulu), "The Loud Newspaper" (1907, Honolulu), "Da Han Daily" (1910, Vancouver), "Min Xing Bao" (1912, Lima, Peru), "Young China Morning News" (1911, San Francisco), "Xin Minguo Bao" (1910, Canada).During the debate with the royalists, these publications enthusiastically promoted Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary ideas and the revolutionary programs of the Xingzhong Association and the Tongmenghui, which promoted the awakening of overseas Chinese in the Americas and made them plunge into the torrent of the revolutionary struggle of the motherland.
While fighting against the royalist forces, Sun Yat-sen actively prepared arms at home and abroad to overthrow the imperial system and realize the republic.
After the founding of the Xingzhonghui, Sun Yat-sen began to plan the Guangzhou Uprising and began to raise funds among overseas Chinese in America.Sun Yat-sen's elder brother, Sun Mei, sold cattle at a low price of six or seven yuan a head to pay for the army.Deng Yinnan, an overseas Chinese businessman in Honolulu, "sold all his shops and farms, expressing his determination to never return" and donated US$6,000.Overseas Chinese in America not only donated money, but also actively participated in and prepared for the Guangzhou Uprising together with Sun Yat-sen.The Xingzhong Society headed by Sun Yat-sen tried to use Hong Kong as a base, preparing to launch an uprising in Guangzhou on October 26, 1895.In the winter of 1894, Deng Yinnan, Song Juren, Hou Aiquan, Xia Baizi and other overseas Chinese returned from Honolulu, together with more than 200 revolutionaries and more than 6,000 pistols, arrived in Guangzhou by boat from Hong Kong.But because the traitors had informed the Qing government, they were hunted down as soon as they landed.More than 40 revolutionaries including Lu Haodong fell in a pool of blood.Sun Yat-sen escaped from Guangzhou wisely and arrived in Japan via Hong Kong.Although the Guangzhou Uprising failed, it was the first anti-Qing revolutionary uprising launched by the bourgeois revolutionaries. It was completely different from the road of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao seeking improvement, and it was a road leading to victory.
Although the Guangzhou Uprising failed, the revolutionaries were not discouraged. Instead, they stepped up the pace of the revolution and launched a series of armed uprisings—the Huizhou Uprising in 1900, the Pingliuli Uprising in 1906, and the Chaozhou Huanggang Uprising in May 1907. , the Huizhou Qinvhu Uprising in June of the same year, the Fangcheng Uprising in Lianzhou, Qinzhou in September, the Zhennanguan Uprising in December, the Madushan Uprising in Qinzhou in March 1908, the Hekou Uprising in Yunnan in April of the same year, and the Guangzhou 3000 Uprising in 1910 The Mingxin Army Uprising and the Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou on April 27, 1911.In these uprisings, the overseas Chinese in America not only donated generously, but also vowed to die, contributing a lot to the revolution.Before the Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou, Sun Yat-sen raised a total of more than 157,000 yuan from overseas Chinese, including more than 70,000 yuan from Canadian overseas Chinese and 15,000 yuan from the United States. The donations from the two places accounted for more than half of the total, ranking first among overseas Chinese.Many overseas Chinese in the Americas had actively participated in the famous Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou, and blood was spilled on Huanghuagang.After returning to China, Chen Yonghui, an overseas Chinese in the Americas, also set up the De Rixin Western Clothing Store on Gaodi Street in Guangzhou as an organ for secret liaison with the revolutionaries.Although these armed uprisings all failed, they greatly inspired the revolutionary people's will to fight and strengthened their determination to overthrow the decadent Qing Dynasty.
In May 1911, Sun Yat-sen went to America again, campaigning for the revolution and raising funds for the uprising in Chicago, Los Angeles and other places in the United States. In July 1911, Sun Yat-sen led the Tongmenghui and the Zhigong Party to jointly establish the Hongmen Rating Bureau in San Francisco. Huang Sande was appointed as the governor of the Rating Bureau to carry out larger-scale payment activities to purchase more weapons and support the revolution of the motherland.
Overseas Chinese in Cuba also cooperated with Mr. Sun Yat-sen in carrying out revolutionary propaganda, mobilizing officers and soldiers of the Qing army to join the revolutionary ranks. In August 1911, the largest warship of the Qing Dynasty, the "Haiqi", visited Cuba. The Cuban Sanmin Reading Newspaper Office and other overseas Chinese groups specially printed and distributed leaflets entitled "Haiqi Soldiers Listener", using overseas Chinese to visit the ship and the officers and soldiers on board to go ashore The opportunity to watch a play, distributed leaflets and speeches to them, encouraged them to participate in the revolution, and greatly moved the officers and soldiers of the Qing army. After the "Haiqi" returned to Shanghai, the officers and soldiers on board responded to the Wuchang Uprising and participated in the revolution.
Before the Wuchang Uprising, Chen Youren, an overseas Chinese and lawyer in Trinidad and Tobago, abandoned his home and returned to China to follow Sun Yat-sen and devote himself to the cause of revolution.Overseas Chinese in the Americas also organized the "Brave Death Squad", led by Huang Xiang, an overseas Chinese from Taiwan, determined to return to China to kill the enemy.
On October 10, 1911, the Wuchang Uprising broke out.In the early morning of the next day, the revolutionary army captured the governor's office, and the revolutionaries set about establishing a military government. On October 15, Sun Yat-sen held a congratulatory meeting for the founding of the Republic of China in the name of the Tongmenghui in Chicago.Subsequently, grand parades were held in Chinatown in New York and San Francisco to celebrate the victory of the Wuchang Uprising.The rate-raising activities also entered a climax at this time.Since the Wuchang Uprising, overseas Chinese in the United States have voluntarily donated money to support the revolution and are very active. "Zhongxi Daily" handed over donations for readers, and it was overwhelming and very touching.One day, a poor overseas Chinese worker, wearing ancient clothes, with braids and pockets, walked into the newspaper office and said to Prime Minister Wu Panzhao: "Yu is old and cannot return to China to join the war. I hope to donate all my savings. To help this move." After that, he donated all his life savings of 1,500 US dollars to support the revolution of the motherland.Donations to support the revolution, epic deeds, hard to describe.According to statistics, the Hongmen Rating Bureau in San Francisco raised $144,000 in the three months from its establishment to the restoration of Guangdong.
After the Wuchang Uprising broke out, the news spread to Lima, the capital of Peru. The Lima Overseas Chinese Patriotic Association held a rally on the evening of October 16, and then established the Peruvian Overseas Chinese Rating Bureau. From October 17 to 20, funds were raised within four days. 12535 yuan.In addition, overseas Chinese in Chile, Panama and other places also set off an upsurge of donations for the revolution.
When Sun Yat-sen served as the interim president in Nanjing, he was in very difficult financial conditions, and he also received donations from overseas Chinese in America.In the telegram congratulating him on his inauguration, overseas Chinese mentioned donations in many postscripts.For example, in the congratulatory message from the overseas Chinese in America, it said: "Wen Gong was elected as the President of the Republic of China. The overseas Chinese in the whole country are very happy. The celebration of the country has won people, and they all say long live. The money is issued."
Overseas Chinese, including American overseas Chinese, donated money to support the armed uprising before the 1911 Revolution, and raised funds to support the new government after the 1911 Revolution, which made Mr. Sun Yat-sen very grateful.When Sun Yat-sen summed up the democratic revolution movement and discussed the contributions of various classes to the Revolution of 1911, he pointed out: "Most of them were overseas Chinese who paid generously."
It should be particularly pointed out that the contribution of the American Overseas Chinese Air Force to the Revolution of 1911.America was the place where the first batch of Chinese aviation personnel received education and training, and Guangdong, especially the overseas Chinese in Wuyi, Guangdong, were the pioneers of Chinese aviation personnel.Throughout the course of the 1911 Revolution, under the guidance of the idea of "Saving the Nation by Aviation", many overseas Chinese in Guangdong devoted themselves to the research of aviation technology, actively participated in the aviation army, took the lead, braved the dangers and even sacrificed their precious lives.
During the Revolution of 1911, the American overseas Chinese in Wuyi, Guangdong successively formed aviation units such as the Guangdong Military Government Air Corps and the Overseas Chinese Revolutionary Air Corps, which strongly supported the Revolution of 1911 led by Sun Yat-sen.
On February 22, 1911, Feng Ru, a pioneer of Chinese aviation, recognized the situation under the inspiration of Sun Yat-sen. Together with his assistants Zhu Zhuzhong, Zhu Zhaohuai and Situ Biru, he returned to Yantang, Guangzhou with two planes and the machines and raw materials for making them. , Determined to set up a Chinese aircraft company, develop the aviation industry, and serve the motherland.After the Wuchang Uprising, Guangzhou expelled the Qing government officials and established the Guangdong military government.Feng Ru was appointed as the pilot of the Guangdong Revolutionary Army, and Zhu Zhuzhong was appointed as the deputy chief.The Guangdong military government aircraft fleet was established.After hard work, an aircraft was made in March 1912. This is the first aircraft successfully manufactured by the Chinese in China.Although the Guangdong military government aircraft team did not participate in the war, it played a certain role in enhancing the morale of the revolution and consolidating the Guangdong military government.
After the Wuchang Uprising, the American General Branch of the China League led by Sun Yat-sen called on overseas Chinese to contribute money and efforts to organize an overseas Chinese revolutionary aircraft group to return to China to participate in the revolution.With the active support of overseas Chinese, a large amount of money was raised to purchase six of the most advanced aircraft produced by the Curtiss Aircraft Factory in the United States.And recruited more than 20 young overseas Chinese, including the world-renowned overseas Chinese pilots Tan Gen and Li Qi'an, and Li Qi'an acted as the acting leader to form the Overseas Chinese Revolutionary Flying Group. On November 30, 1911, it carried the first batch of three aircraft and assembled them. The technicians and personnel returned to the motherland and finally arrived in Nanjing.Although the Overseas Chinese Revolutionary Flying Group failed in the test flight, the news of the test flight spread to Beijing, which shocked Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
Under the struggle of the people of the whole country and overseas Chinese, on February 12, 1912, the Qing Dynasty issued an imperial edict declaring the abdication of Emperor Xuantong, announcing the demise of the last feudal dynasty in China. The feudal autocratic rule of more than 2,000 years is over!
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