U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN
LATIN AMERICA
U.S. Foreign Policy in
Latin America
 Big Stick Diplomacy (Roosevelt)
 Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
 Dollar Diplomacy (Taft)
 Moral Diplomacy (Wilson)
Dollar & Moral Diplomacy
• William H. Taft
• Dollar Diplomacy – urge banks and business to invest in
Latin America (US gained control of their railroads and
national bank)
• Economic pressure to influence other countries
• Woodrow Wilson
• Believed in “moral diplomacy”
• Thought using money or force would hurt the U.S. and Latin
America
• Promote democratic gov’ts (would not recognize a gov’t of
“butchers”Mexico)
The Panama Canal:
American motivations
1) Boost the nation’s economy
2) Shorten trade routes (helps to make $ faster)
Building the Canal
Problems
Disease-carrying mosquitoes (yellow
fever, malaria)
Humidity
Frequent accidents
The Size
More than 43,000 workers at one
time
61 million pounds of dynamite
Completed in 1914 (5,600 workers
die from disease)
Significance of Canal
50 mile canal
Trip was 8,000 miles
shorter
Gateway between the
Atlantic and Pacific
“The Land Divided, the
World United”
One of the two most
important canals in the
world
The Inauguration
of the Canal Zone
– S.S. Ancon
Look at the map on Pg. 388-389 and answer #1
(“Interact w/ History”)
THEN, look at the “Panama Canal Cross-Section”
-What is an isthmus?
-What potential problems do you see in building a
canal at this location?
REVIEW
• Different types of foreign policy (4)
• Am. Foreign Policy Spectrum
• Beginnings of Imperialism (3 reasons, etc.)
• Imperialism Worksheet
• Factors leading to Spanish American War (3)
• Notes
• 3 Types of Diplomacy
• America as a World Power Packet