President’s View on Imperialism Stations
Your job is to go around to each station and understand the different views on imperialism different presidents
and politicians had early in the 20th century.
Station #1: The Open Door Notes (1899-1900)
1. In the late 19th century (late 1800s), did the United States have any influence in China?
2. What did U.S. Secretary of State John Hay propose? What will it allow all nations to do?
Document A:
Read the document and use it to answer the following questions.
1. Why do you think the United States wanted to have all country’s have equal access to China?
2. Why do you think Hay says, “The policy of the Government of the United States is to seek a solution
which may bring about permanent safety and peace to China”? What do you think are the motives of the
United States government?
Station #2 “The Roosevelt Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine
Remember, the Monroe Doctrine was the policy that if anyone tried to come into the Americas that it was the
United State’s “job” to intervene.
1. Why do you think Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt wanted to intervene with the Dominican Republic?
Who was he worried would start to get involved the region?
Document A: The Roosevelt Corollary
1. What do you think Roosevelt means by, “It is not true that the United States feels any land hunger”? Do
you believe him?
2. In your own words, what does Roosevelt say the United States desires?
3. When does the United States have to get involved, in Roosevelt’s view? Does that follow the Monroe
Doctrine?
Document B:
1. What do you think, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far?” Think of this in terms of
treating other countries.
Document C:
1. What does this cartoon depict Roosevelt doing with the Caribbean?
Document D:
1. Bogota is in the country Colombia. What is this cartoon showing Roosevelt doing? Is he following what
he says in documents A & B?
Station#3: William Howard Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”
Document A:
1. Summarize Taft’s policy with how the United States should deal with certain countries. What does it all
boil down to in Taft’s eyes?
Document B:
1. George A. Miller says that the people in the “jungle” do not have organization, capital (money),
administration (leadership) or toil (hard work). How do you think “Dollar Diplomacy” is going to be
used in the countries in the Caribbean and South America?
Document C:
1. Pablo Neruda was a poet in Chile (in South America). What did he say The Fruit Company, Inc. do to
his land?
Station #4 Woodrow Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”
1. What were President Woodrow Wilson’s goals?
2. What ended up happening overall in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Mexico?
Document A: “Moral Diplomacy”
1. What is the whole point of “Moral Diplomacy”? Use quotes from Document A to support your
reasoning.
Document B: American Troops Practicing “Moral Diplomacy” in Nicaragua.
1. Describe the picture. What is this picture trying to show?
Document C: “Moral Diplomacy in Nicaragua?”
1. What is going on in this picture? Use Harold Denny’s New York Times quote to explain your answer.
2. Even though Wilson was a non-interventionist (not wanting to interfere with countries) What ended up
happening in Nicaragua between 1912 and 1926?
Station #5 Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Good Neighbor Policy
1. How did Roosevelt want to treat the countries in Latin America?
Document A: The Good Neighbor Policy
1. How would you describe the “Good Neighbor Policy”?
2. How does Franklin Roosevelt describe how the countries in Latin America looked at the United States?
Document B: Good Neighbor Policy through Trade
1. According to the headline (Good Neighbor Policy through Trade), how did Roosevelt want to enact the
“Good Neighbor Policy”?
2. Describe what is going on in the picture. Who is in the picture and what are they doing?
3. How does the advertisement (the words on the bottom) describe Coca-Cola? What is the advertisement
trying to show?