Teddy+Roosevelt

=**__Theodore Roosevelt and American Imperialism__**= [|Jeff,] Joe, and Caileigh
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[|Theodore Roosevelt] (TR) (1858-1919) President 1901-1909

Sickly and weak as a child, Roosevelt developed both his mind and body through rigorous exercise and extensive reading. He led the [|Rough Riders] in Cuba and was Governor of New York before becoming President after the asassination of McKinley. His exciting, boisterous personality appealed to many and he promoted his ideas with an animated speaking style.

Panama CanalOne of America's most famous forms of foreign policy was the construction of the Pamama Canal. It was a project that was originally attempted by the French in the year [|1881] and was taken over by the United States in the year 1903. But there were many issues involving the relations between Panama's controlling country, Colombia. America had originally worked out to pay Colombia millions of dollars to construct the canal in Panama, but Colombia began to take advantage of the United States' offer. They requested over 10 million dollars more than what was originally offered. TR refused to debate with them and told them that they already agreed on a price. Colombia continued to argue and threatened [|to] cut France out of the deal and keep the money that France alreaedy paid. Roosevelt then realized that they were not in good faith any more and needed to come up with a different solution. He decided that he needed to separate Panama from Colombia for the better intrests of the Panamainan people and America. ROosevelt decided to create a revolution in panama and it was called the Panamanian Revolution. After the revolution Panama was free from the grasp of COlombia and was declared a free nation. In early 1903, the [|Hay-Herran Treaty] allowed the United States to build the canal. TR's efforts inproved Americas image Latin America. In constructing the canal we improved the economy of these countries by builiding rails and roads to trasfer goods. These actions have alllowed America the respect of the world power it is today.

[|The Great White Fleet]

Roosevelt was a passionate supporter of increasing U.S. naval power. As the assistant secretary of the Navy in 1898, Roosevelt gave orders to prepare the Asiatic Squadron to stop the Spanish fleet from reaching the [|Philippines]. Once in office as president, Roosevelt supported the increase of congressional funding of a battleship navy. Congress responded to Roosevelt by providing money to build sixteen new battleships. Roosevelt ordered a twenty-six ship fleet to sail to Japan to display U.S. interests in Asia. The Great White Fleet traveled to [|Asia] and back between 1907 and 1909. The fleet departed from [|Norfolk, Virginia] on December 16 and became the first fleet of warships to circumnavigate the globe. The United States displayed the additions to their naval fleet, which was now in the same league as [|Great Britain and Germany].

[|-Corollary to Monroe Doctrine] In 1823, President [|James Monroe] passed the [|Monroe Doctrine]. The Monroe Doctrine was basically a message to the European powers telling them to stay out of the [|Western Hemisphere]. The Doctrine made it clear that European colonization ann intervention in the Americas would no longer be tolerated. In 1904, Roosevelt introduced his corollary to the Doctrine, in which he introduced "preventive intervention". Roosevelt described preventive inervention as intervening with Latin American countries in order to prevent European intervention. He used then revised doctrine to justify tariff collection in the Dominican Republic and an American presence in other Latin American and Carribean countries. Political Cartoon regarding the Roosevelt Corollary

-American involvement in the Philippines After the [|Spanish-American] war, one of the lands America acquired was the Philippine Islands. Like many Americans at the time, Roosevelt believed that it was the duty of the Americans to keep the Philippines. He believed America was doing the Filipinos a favor by introducing them to American ways. What is interesting is that Roosevelt wrote: "As regards the Philippines my belief was that we should train them for self-government as rapidly as possible, and then leave them free to decide their own fate. I did not believe in setting the time-limit within which we would give them independence, because I did not believe it wise to try to forecast how soon they would be fit for self-government." That plan could be seen as a parallel to the current situation in Iraq. [|Writings] by TR regarding the Philippines

Election propoganda for President McKinley and Vice President Roosevelt. Note the differences in the portrayal of Spanish and American rule in Cuba.

Works Consulted