Introduction

To many, it sounds ridiculous to link China’s first communist, Li Dazhao (1889–1927), with the United States, the global capitalist stronghold. Li never studied in America and did not even set foot on American soil. Li and America seem to be two distant unrelated objects impossible to group together. Nonetheless, the two are connected, because Li studied America ardently, deliberated over America frequently, and published on America regularly. He often cited American precedents to address China’s issues and intended to follow the American model for his nation’s modernization. As a progressive intellectual, he pioneered the exploration of Western civilization and paid close attention to the ascending superpower in North America. Confronting the status quo of his nation, Li felt the urgency of studying and emulating America. Yet, he ultimately drifted away, got closer to Soviet Russia, and embraced communism. His change in stance impacted his contemporaries, swayed the youth, and redirected his nation’s historical path. Without a doubt, an understanding of Li’s attitudes towards the United States will assist our comprehension of the complex historical evolution of twentieth century China.

A close examination of Li Dazhao’s writings demonstrates that his attitudes towards America changed during the May Fourth Movement in 1919. Before it, Li was an admirer of America who appreciated almost every aspect of American civilization.