Roosevelt & Latin America
Learning Goals
1. Explain how “The Roosevelt
Corollary” (1904) modified the
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
justifying a new direction in
United States foreign policy.
(USH.3.2)
Focus Questions
1. How did the United States govern Cuba
and Puerto Rico?
2. Why and how was the Panama Canal
built?
3. What was the Roosevelt Corollary?
4. How did Presidents Taft and Wilson
reshape U.S. diplomacy?
After the War
• US begins to expand its
power in Latin America
• Military governments
were set up in Cuba and
Puerto Rico to restore
order and to protect
American investments
• President McKinley
appointed Leonard Wood
as governor of Cuba in
1899
• Scientists made
significant steps toward
eliminating yellow fever
Eliminating Yellow Fever
• US Army doctors Walter
Reed and William C.
Gorgas studied the
problem
• Cuban doctor Carlos
Juan Finley theorized
mosquitoes spread the
disease
• Gorgas organized a plan
to drain all pools of
standing water, where
mosquitoes bred
US Control of Cuba
• Cuba gains its independence from Spain…but
• Wood oversaw the drafting of a new constitution
in 1901
• The US had promised in the Teller Amendment
(1898) that it would not annex Cuba
• US feared other nations might try to take control
of Cuba or undercut American business interests
• As a result, the US forced Cuba to include the
Platt Amendment
US Control of Cuba
• The Platt Amendment
- limited Cuba’s ability to sign treaties with other nations
- gave the US the right to intervene in Cuban affairs
- required Cuba to sell/lease land to the US for naval
bases and coaling stations (Guantanamo Bay)
- made Cuba a protectorate of the United States
• After Cuba agreed, US troops withdrew
• Amendment was eventually repealed, but the
US maintained its lease on Guantanamo
Guantanamo Bay
Governing Puerto Rico
• United States decided to govern Puerto Rico as
a territory, not a protectorate
• Foraker Act established that the US would
appoint Puerto Rico’s governor and the upper
house of it’s legislation, Puerto Rican voters
would elect the lower house
• US citizenship was granted to Puerto Ricans in
1917; also allowed Puerto Ricans to elect all of
their legislative representatives
• Puerto Rico became a self-governing
commonwealth of the US in 1952
The Panama Canal
Why build a canal?
• A canal would provide a faster way to
move between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans
• Before the canal: New York to San
Francisco 13,000 miles
• After the canal: New York to San
Francisco 5,200 miles
Why Build the Canal?
US Involvement
• The French began building a canal (1880s), the
company eventually went bankrupt and abandoned the
project
• The US bought the rights to the French canal property
and equipment in 1902
• In 1903, the US drafted a treaty for a canal zone. The
treaty was turned down by Colombia’s government
• President Roosevelt decides to support a Panamanian
revolution against Colombia (interest in the canal).
Panama gains it’s independence from Columbia
• A treaty with the newly formed Republic of Panama gave
the US complete and unending sovereignty over a 10mile-wide Canal Zone
• May 1904, American work on the Panama Canal began
Panama Canal
Building the Canal
•
Difficulties
1. harsh working conditions
- extreme heat & accidents
2. labor and material shortages
3. disease (yellow fever and malaria)
* More than 30,000 workers died building the canal
•
•
John F. Stevens (chief engineer & architect) tackled
the engineering and logistical problems
Dr. William C. Gorgas focused on improving sanitation
and health
- by 1913 malaria was almost completely eliminated
Building the Canal
• More than 60 giant
steam shovels dugout
hundreds of train-car
loads of dirt
• Up to 44,000 workers
labored on the project
• In August 1914, the
SS Ancon became
the first ship to
officially pass through
the Panama Canal
Length of Vessel Toll
• Up to 15.240 meters (50 ft) US $1,300
• More than 15.240 meters (50 ft) up to 24.384 meters
(80 ft) US $1,400
• More than 24.384 meters (80 ft) up to 30.480 meters
(100 ft) US $1,500
• More than 30.480 meters (100 ft) US $2,400
• The most expensive regular toll for canal passage to
date was charged on May 16, 2008 to the Disney Magic,
which paid US $331,200.
• The least expensive toll was 36 cents to American
adventurer Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal in
1928.
• The average toll is around US $54,000.
Roosevelt Corollary
• Why did the US pass the Roosevelt
Corollary?
1. It’s an addition to the Monroe Doctrine (For
much of the 1800s, Monroe Doctrine was an
idle threat)
2. After Spanish-American War, US presidents
began to back up the Monroe Doctrine with
military strength
3. Wanted to protect American economic
interests in Latin America
“Big Stick” Diplomacy
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”
What did the Roosevelt
Corollary do?
•
•
•
The US pledged to use armed forces to
prevent any European country from
seizing Latin American countries (EX.
Dominican Republic 1904)
Succeeded in bringing more stability to
the region and keeping other nations out
Created worry among Latin Americans
about US involvement in their affairs
Reshaping US Diplomacy
Under Taft and Wilson
•
Dollar Diplomacy - promoted American economic
interests in other countries and used that economic
power to achieve American policy goals
•
What did Dollar Diplomacy do?
1.
Bought out European nations loans, reducing their
involvement in Latin America
The US invested more than $1.6 billion in mines,
railroads, and banana and sugar plantations
Caused resentment throughout Latin American
countries
- 1912 President Taft had to send troops to end an
uprising against American authorities in
Nicaragua
2.
3.
Reshaping US Diplomacy
Under Taft and Wilson
• President Wilson rejected dollar diplomacy and
favored moral diplomacy
- he tried to nurture constitutional governments
- use of persuasion and American ideals to advance the
nation’s interests abroad
- use forced when necessary
+had to send troops when civil unrest broke out
(Haiti 1915 & Dominican Republic 1916)
How did the US govern Cuba
• Platt Amendment made it a US
protectorate
How did the US govern Puerto Rico?
• Governed as a territory
• Foraker Act allowed to appoint governor
and upper house of legislature
• Gave US citizenship to Puerto Ricans
Why was the Panama Canal built?
• To create a shorter route between the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
How was the Panama Canal built?
• Started by a French company, finished by
the US with 44,000 workers, 60 giants
steam shovels, and Stevens as chief
What was the Roosevelt Corollary?
• A doctrine that threatened use of US
military force to prohibit further European
involvement in Latin America
What proverb inspired Roosevelt’s corollary
to the Monroe Doctrine?
• “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will
go far”
How did Presidents Taft and Wilson reshape
US diplomacy?
• President Taft used economic power
• President Wilson tried to nurture
constitutional governments, but used
military force when needed