Lesson 5: Theodore Roosevelt and Foreign Affairs

Lesson Focus

This lesson explores how President Theodore Roosevelt used an aggressive foreign policy to assert American power. We'll see how his "Big Stick" diplomacy shaped events in the Caribbean and Asia, establishing a new global role for the United States.

People to Know

Theodore Roosevelt

Learning Objectives

• Learn how Roosevelt used "Big Stick" diplomacy to expand American influence, particularly in the Caribbean with the Panama Canal.
• Understand America's role in the Russo-Japanese War and how Roosevelt balanced power in East Asia to protect U.S. interests.

President Roosevelt believed the U.S. had a responsibility to be a world power. He adopted a foreign policy motto: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." This approach, known as Big Stick diplomacy, meant using negotiation and diplomacy first but having military power ready to enforce U.S. goals. This policy was most evident in the Caribbean, where the U.S. asserted its dominance to protect and expand its strategic and economic interests in the region.

The U.S. needed a canal for commercial and military ships, but Colombia rejected its offer for land in Panama. In response, Roosevelt supported a Panamanian revolt in 1903, sending a U.S. cruiser to block Colombian forces. Panama declared independence and quickly signed a treaty granting the U.S. control of the Panama Canal Zone. Note that this action made the U.S. known as the "Colossus of the North" and created lasting distrust in Latin America.

When European nations used force to collect debts from Venezuela, the Drago Doctrine proposed banning this. Fearing European intervention, Roosevelt issued the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. This stated the U.S. would act as a "policeman" in any Latin American nation guilty of "chronic wrongdoing." The U.S. first applied this in the Dominican Republic in 1905, taking over its finances to repay European debts.

As a continuation of Roosevelt's policies, President Taft promoted dollar diplomacy to protect U.S. business interests abroad. This policy aimed to increase American investments in Latin America, supposedly "substituting dollars for bullets." However, this approach often required military force to protect those investments. For example, in Nicaragua, U.S. marines were sent to install a pro-American government, which increased resentment against U.S. economic imperialism.

Russia and Japan's conflicting ambitions in Manchuria and Korea led to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. To the world's surprise, Japan won major victories but was nearing the end of its resources. The Japanese secretly asked Roosevelt to mediate, leading to a peace conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1905. Pay special attention to how the war altered the balance of power in East Asia, making Japan the new dominant force.

Japan's victory fueled anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S., leading to the segregation of Japanese children in California schools. To ease tensions, Roosevelt negotiated the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907-1908, where the U.S. ended segregation and Japan halted labor emigration. Despite this, Roosevelt knew the Philippines were an "Achilles' heel," a vulnerable point that was difficult to defend from an increasingly powerful Japan.