The Rabbi, the Lawyer, and the Prophet

Abstract

Using the personal papers of Syngman Rhee, the first president of the Republic of Korea, as a starting point, this essay examines the lobbying activities from 1919 to 1922 of Korean independence activists in the United States from the perspective of three Americans who became supporters of the Korean cause. It reveals how these activists used the “American Mission”—a particular genus of American exceptionalism asserting that the United States has a national destiny to promote universal values abroad—to build a small but formidable constituency of u.s. supporters. These advocates were instrumental in publicizing Korea’s plight and in bringing many Americans into sympathy with the Korean independence movement. Their involvement casts a long shadow in u.s.-Korean relations because they provided Rhee with a base of moral support during his 35-year exile in the United States that he used to advance the Korean independence movement and his personal political ambitions. Their lobbying campaign also calls into question received wisdom about who employs American exceptionalism and why.