Woodrow Wilson’s Moral Diplomacy
Time Period: 1910-1924
President: Woodrow Wilson
by: Kathleen David and Esther Chia
Explanation
During the Mexican Revolution, Mexico had hopes of
overthrowing General Porfirio Diaz by using means of
war and violent revolt. In the cartoon, Mexico is
represented through a man running on a treadmill
which suggests that if Mexico continued to chase after
progress with violence (depicted as a gun) and with
chaos (the torch), they would be unable to move
forward and obtain progress. Thus, Mexico’s inability
will make room for America’s involvement in their
affairs. Since Mexico wanted to achieve democracy,
America took this opportunity to step in and advocate
moral diplomacy, which is the system where America
gives support to countries with similar moral beliefs as
them.
Causes and Effects
CAUSES
● motives included:
o greatly expand and control the western hemisphere by participating in foreign politics for
the benefit of the US
o develop an interdependent relationship with Latin America by supporting their countries
and getting resources and goods in compensation
o promote American economic growth and eliminate imperialism
o numerous dictators such as Diaz, Madero, and Huerta further enhanced the US support
of moral diplomacy and democracy
● Mexican Revolution draws US interest to make Mexico beneficial to them through support
Regions involved: Democratic Latin American countries, specifically Mexico; United States
Causes and Effects
EFFECTS:
● numerous dictators and Mexico’s frustration with them leads to American involvement in the
Mexican revolution
● US conspires with Mexican Army to overthrow Madero because he did not support US interests
● Woodrow Wilson allows for a revolt lead by Carranza and Pancho Villa
● Tampico Incident: Mexico captures a US troop for being in a war zone without a permit
● US seizes the port of Vera Cruz because Mexico wanted the US to salute their flag and
recognize Huerta’s diplomatic government as a legitimate
● Resentment towards Mexico if formed
o the US wanted their citizens out and due to this Mexico supported the idea
Treaties: Treaty of Ciudad Juárez (Porfiro Diaz and Francisco Madero) and Guadalupe Hidalgo (ended
war)
Values and Limitations
●
VALUES
This political cartoon displays Mexico’s efforts in
overthrowing their corrupt government
○ significance of this source: shows political bias
against mexico through how it is depicted as
less dominant. The United States being viewed
in a positive light encouraged imperialistic
behavior. Based upon this, it suggests that
American society was ethnocentric and
subjected less powerful people to believe in
their principles through their form of cultural
imperialism that brought values such as
democracy and equal rights. Due to this, their
mental goal was to eradicate the culture of the
non-powerful under the belief that their nation
was superior.
●
LIMITATIONS
The cartoon was made by an American artist so it is
more biased to a US perspective
o By depicting Mexico as completely hopeless
of obtaining progress is an overstatement
because the cartoon shows that America
assumes that no matter what they did or what
methods they used, Mexico would fail to
achieve their goals. It attempts to justify the
US’s actions of involving themselves with
Mexico because it depicts Mexico as a
country who wanted and needed the help of
overthrowing diplomats. However, the cartoon
fails to show how US involvement and moral
diplomacy also failed to create change in
Latin America.
To what extent...
To what extent was US territorial expansion a proper and legitimate policy for the United States to
follow at the turn of the nineteenth century?
●
Based on the outcome of the Mexican Revolution, US territorial expansion, to a large extent, was not a
proper means for gaining power because the tactics used to obtain Mexico ultimately failed in the end.
The US attempted to expand into the western hemisphere by overtaking Latin American countries.
However, America had a selfish intent while attempting to spread into different countries; they planned
to support Latin American countries but solely for the purpose of benefitting from the resources and
goods that they would provide in return as a sort of reward. Specifically in Mexico, it seems as if
America tried too hard to intervene with Mexico’s foreign affairs regarding democracy against
diplomatic rulers. In the beginning of the revolution, Mexico did not ask for America’s help in their wars.
America, on the other hand, believed it was their “moral obligation” to assist Mexico, when their true
motivation was to gain trust and support of Mexico so that America could gain more economic success.
Overall, this moral diplomacy did not work in order to gain territorial expansion because the Mexicans
began to resent the US for their intervention and the US was insulted by Mexico’s growing hostility.
Thus, exemplifying that US territorial expansion was not a proper policy to follow.