preview

Theodore Roosevelt Foreign Policy Essay

Decent Essays

I believe the President who defined American foreign policy most significantly in the twentieth century was Theodore Roosevelt. He was an imperialist who worked towards a goal of global power. From gaining ownership over the Panama Canal to protecting Latin American countries from the threat of European powers, Roosevelt’s policies earned the name “Big Stick Diplomacy”. This policy relied upon military intimidation to achieve U.S goals. The first example of Theodore Roosevelt using his Big Stick policy was his influence on the Panama Canal. He dispatched U.S warships to support Panamanian rebels against Colombian rule. After Panama declared its independence, it granted the U.S control over the canal zone. The Panama Canal was an imperative …show more content…

In 1901, the U.S and Great Britain signed the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, granting Britain control over a canal to the U.S. In 1902, Congress passes the Canal act which granted funding for the Panama Canal. Also in 1902, congress passed the Philippine Government Act, establishing the islands of Philippine as an unorganized territory. In 1903, Roosevelt created the Department of Commerce and Labor. Later that year, Roosevelt dealt with the Panamanian revolt against Colombian rule and the U.S recognized Panama as a Republic. In 1905, he mediated the peace treaty between Russia and Japan. In 1906, the Platt Amendment in invoked and the U.S takes military control of Cuba. These actions demonstrate the successful policies of Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt’s goals with his Big Stick Policy were to build a foreign policy legacy and expand U.S influence across the world. He wanted to move the U.S away from its traditional policy of isolationism and towards the role of a global power. He wanted the U.S to act as the world police, keeping conflicts to a minimum. I think he was successful in his goals. He seized the opportunity of using interventionist policies to gain the economically advantageous Panama Canal and successfully mediated peace talks for multiple

Get Access