Transcript Chapter 10: America Claims an Empire

CH 3.5-3.6
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Roosevelt did three things that helped
the United States become a world
power
1. Roosevelt the peacemaker
◦ Russo-Japanese War: Roosevelt
negotiated a peace treaty between
Russia and Japan to end the war
2. The Panama Canal
◦ American dream since CA Gold Rush
of 1849
2. The Panama Canal
◦ American dream since CA Gold Rush
of 1849
◦ two choices for a Canal
1. Panama – where France had
already started, but needed
permission from Colombia
2. Nicaragua – easier, no disease but
had volcanic activity
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Tropical climate
Disease-carrying mosquitoes
Mountains
◦ Roosevelt inspired Panama to revolt
from Colombia
◦ construction lasted 10 years
 dug through swamps, jungles,
mountains
 5,600 died from disease (malaria,
yellow fever)
 a great feat of engineering
When Panamanian rebels declared their
independence from Columbia in 1903,
Roosevelt sent U.S. warships to protect them.
In return for U.S. protection, the new
government of Panama gave the United States
control of the Panama Canal Zone, a ten-mile
wide strip of land through the center of
Panama.
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Construction of the canal began in 1904.
To prevent malaria and yellow fever, the U.S.
Army cleaned up swamps where infected
mosquitoes had bred.
It took the Army Corps of Engineers ten years
to build the enormous locks and to remove
millions of tons of earth to complete the
canal.
They built a series of locks that raised ships to
an artificial lake, across the central highland,
and then lowered them back to sea level on
the other side.
Link:
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=vi19z4LEi0
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cuts almost 8,000 miles/48 days from
New York to San Francisco
3. The Roosevelt Corollary
◦ extension of the Monroe Doctrine
◦ U.S. has the right to protect
economic interests in Latin America
 in other words…U.S. would act as
policeman in Latin America
 part of Roosevelt’s “speak softly and
carry a big stick” policy
In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt
declared that the U.S. would act as an
“international police power” in Latin
America rather than let European nations
intervene to collect their debts. The U.S.
would act for them.
Theodore Roosevelt:
“Speak softly
but carry a big stick”
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine was
used to justify sending troops into Haiti, Nicaragua,
Honduras and the Dominican Republic. In this way,
the United States protected its interests in the
Panama Canal. Later, President Wilson intervened in
both the Caribbean region and Mexico.
 William
Howard Taft
◦ dollar diplomacy: urged U.S.
businesses to invest in Latin
American economies and loan them
money; investments rarely paid back
◦ purpose: more trade & keep Europe
out
 Woodrow
Wilson
◦ missionary diplomacy: the U.S. had a
moral responsibility to deny
recognition to any Latin American
government it viewed as oppressive,
undemocratic, or hostile to U.S.
interests
◦ Revolution in Mexico
 began in 1911 with overthrow of military
dictator – power changed hands a few times
 1915: Venustiano Carranza became
president (U.S. approved)
 “Pancho” Villa and Emiliano Zapata led
rebellion against Carranza (& killed
Americans in the process)
 Wilson sent troops into Mexico to find Villa –
ended up fighting w/ Mexican Army
 both sides eventually backed down
 Three
imperialist foreign policy
goals accomplished:
1. expanded access to foreign markets
to improve domestic economy
2. built a modern navy to protect
interests abroad
3. exercised international police power
to ensure dominance in Latin
America