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21.2 Three Presidents, Three Foreign Policies
Bv going tn war with Spain and acquiring overseas possession$, President
McKinley had set the stage for a more aggressive forcign policy. The next
three presidents- Rmseuelt, Taft, and Wilson-pursued their own policies.
Rut all three gave the United States an even greater role i n world affairs.
Although their foreign policies ddfered ,each president intervened abroad to
pursue American goals. Some goals were realist, such as con troll in^ accesq to
forzipn resources. Other goals wers idealist, such a? promoting democracy. In
developing foreign policy, the _guidin_eprinciple for all three presidents was to
. serve the national interest. This is the set nf goals-political, economic, militay,
and cultural -that a nation considers important. Roosevelt, Taft. ,~ndWilson
carried out foreign policies they believed would advance American interests.
Raosevelt Expands U.S. Involvement Overseas Theodore Roosevell applied
an energetic spirit to foreign policy. He wanted to makc the United States a great
power that could exert influence arnund the world. I-lc bclieved that the country
must meet any challzngc to its national interest abrond.
Roosevelt once wrote, "1: have always been fond of thc West African
proverb: 'Speak softly and carry a hig stick; you will go far."' I-le believed
in worhng quietly and patiently to acheve goals ovemeas bur. usin? force if
necessary. Rooscvelt's strong .arm approi~chto foreign affairs became known
the Big Stick Policy.
In 1904, Roosevelt formalized this policy in a major address to Congress.
He reminded his audience that the ,Monroe Doctrine was designed to prehcnt
European meddling in the Americas. Yet he noted that nearly a century later
many countries in the hemisphere were still too weak to defend themselves.
He asserted that the United States therefore rnusl use "international police
as
President Roosevelt bel~evedthat Ihe United
States should act a s an FnEernat~onalpolice
force to protect its interests. H i s Big Stick
Policy was designed to bring order and
stabiliryto the hemisphere.
power" to preserve peace and order in the hemisphere and protect American
;nteEsts. He claimed that this power would help protect weak nations and was
,direct extension of the haonroc Doctrine. For that rei-won, h s statement became
c;-
:,',i?.
known as !he Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. A corollary is a
rhat is a Iogical extension of a principle.
Over the next several decades, the United States intervened repeatedly in
b t i n America and the Caribbean. It sent troops to suppress unrest and prop up
rulerswho supponed U.S. interests. Roosevelt and his successors claimed that
fie* actions were necessary to promote stability in the region, but many critics
saw then1 as an exercise of imperial power.
Roosevelt also used diplomacy to heIp bring peace to a foreign region. In
I w5,he mediated a conflict between Japan and Russia, which were fighting
to control Korea and Manchuria. For his effom in ending the war. he won the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. However, the treaty left both Japan and Russia
dissatisfied and resentful of the United States.
T& Advances U.S. Economic Interests After becoming president in 1909,
William Howard Taft continued the main thrust of Rooseveh's foreign policy
but shifted to economic goals. His policy, which became known as Dollar
Diplomacy, was to encourage and protect American trade and investment in
Latin America and Asia. Taft believed that a strong economic presence ahroad
would advance American interests.
Taft claimed that Dollar Diplomacy would limit the use of force overseas.
But the United States continued to intervene militarily. Tn Nicaragua, for example, it supported a revolt that brought a pro-U.S. leader into power in 191I .
American banks [hen provided loans to the new g o v e m e n l . The government
was corrupt and unpopular, however, and a new revolt broke out in 1 9 I 2. Taft
sent rnaines to put it down and Ito protect American business interesrs. The
United States kept troops in Nicaragua almost continuously until 1933.
Beginning in the earty 19009, the United States
intervened regularly in Latin America and the
Caribbean. It sent troops to support friendly
rulers and protect V.S. interests. Here,
American marines fight antigovernment rebels
in Nicaragua in 1912. U.S. forces trained the
Nicaraguan army and helped establish a d ~ c tatorship thaf ruled that country for more than
40 years.
ifson Champions Democracy Around the Globe When Woodrow Wilson
came president in 1913, ht: tried to take a moral approach to foreign n,Iations.
:called this policy Moral Diplomacy. It was based on democratic ideals,
rather than on economic investment or the use of force.The United States
should use its power to aid "the development of conqtitutional liberty in the
world,'' Wilson said, by basing its foreign policy on '"urnan rights, national
integrity. and opportunity, as against national interests ."
Wilson also introduced a concept called self-determination into American
'-reign policy. By this he meant the right of other peoples to determine their
vn government, free of outside influence.
In dealing with the countries of Latin America, Wilson said, "W must prove
itselves their friends and champions upon terms of equality and honor . . .
hether it squares with our own interest or not." His principles were tested by
ore turmoil in Latin America. In 19 IS,a revolt in Haiti prompted him to send
arines to protect American lives and investments. It was not until I934 that
e United States withdrew its troops from Haiti. In 19 16, Wilson sent troops
.- the Dominican Republic, where they stayed for 12 years. Wilson eventually
intervened more than either Taft or Rmsevel~.
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