Objectives:
 Examine what happened to Puerto Rico and
Cuba after the Spanish – American War.
 Analyze the effects of Roosevelt’s “big stick”
diplomacy.
 Compare Wilson’s “moral diplomacy” with
the foreign policies of his predecessors.
The U.S. victory in the
Spanish - American War left
the fate of Puerto Rico and
Cuba unresolved…
Puerto Rico:
 In 1900, the Foraker Act authorized a
civil government for Puerto Rico.
 A governor would be appointed by the
U.S. President.
 In the Insular Cases, the Supreme Court ruled
that Puerto Ricans did NOT have the same
rights or tax status as other Americans.
Cuba:
 Became independent in 1902
 The Platt Amendment made Cuba a
protectorate of the United States, which
retained the rights to:
Approve or reject any treaty signed by Cuba
Intervene to preserve order in Cuba
Lease military bases in Cuba
Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” Diplomacy
Speak Softly, But Carry a Big Stick, You Will Go Far!
Roosevelt saw it as
America’s moral
responsibility to
“civilize,” or uplift,
weaker nations.
He saw international
leadership as a challenge
the U.S. had to accept.
Roosevelt claimed the
the right of the U.S. to
intervene in Latin
America to preserve law
and order.
“If we intend to
say hands off to
the powers of
Europe, then
sooner or later
we must keep
order ourselves.”
- Roosevelt
Roosevelt Corollary:
 1904, President Roosevelt
added his Roosevelt
Corollary to the Monroe
Doctrine
 The U.S. would act as
“International Police” in
the Western Hemisphere
to prevent European
intervention
Journal:
“Teddy Roosevelt shrunk the world”
1. How would this have been possible?
2. People today say the world is getting
smaller and smaller how is this possible
today?
The Panama Canal:
The World’s Most Important Shortcut! The 8th Wonder of the World!
What is an isthmus?
Panama is an isthmus. An isthmus is a
narrow strip of land that has water on
each side and connects two larger
bodies of land.
The Panama Canal was constructed between
1904 and 1913.
• The United States needed permission from Colombia, which
owned the Isthmus of Panama.
• Colombia wanted more money than the United States was
willing to pay.
• Roosevelt dispatched U.S. warships to the waters off Panama
to support a Panamanian rebellion against Columbia.
• Roosevelt negotiated to lease the “Canal Zone” from the new
Panamanian government for $10 million and an annual rent.
U.S. workers first
sprayed tons of
insecticide across
Panama in order to
destroy the mosquito
eggs in an attempt to
limit cases of malaria
and yellow fever.
Working Conditions
 Imagine working on the Panama Canal. By
noon the temperature is about 100 degrees.
It’s humid-so humid that after it rains steam
rises from the ground and your clothes
become soaking wet. There is no shade.
 As one worker said, “There was no shelter
from the sun or the rain. There were no trees,
and when the sun shines, you get it. When
the rain falls you get it.”
Working Conditions
The average yearly rainfall is about 80
inches. Flooding makes the ground like
pudding, and you can sink up to your knees
in mud. Tropical diseases, such as yellow
fever and malaria are spread easily by
mosquitoes.
27,500 people died attempting to create
canal
Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”
 Improve financial
opportunities for American
businesses. Invest in
plantations, mines, and
railroads.
 Use private capital to further
U.S. interests overseas.
 The U.S. should create
stability and order abroad
that would best promote
America’s commercial
interests.
Dollar Diplomacy – President Taft’s policy of encouraging
Americans to invest in Latin America
U.S. Global Investments & Investments in Latin America, 1914
Country
Occupied
Years
Dominican
Republic
1916 1924
Nicaragua
1912 1933
Haiti
19151934
Honduras
1911 1925
Reasons
to control their
finances, help
them pay their
debts, and keep
the peace
to restore order
after a revolution
and to protect
U.S. businesses
to restore order
after years of
anarchy
to protect U.S.
businesses during
civil war
Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”
Supported human rights and national
integrity rather than U.S. self-interest
Promised the U.S. would “never again
seek one additional foot of territory by
conquest”
Troubles in Mexico:
 Mexico arrested several U.S.
sailors in 1914 and President
Wilson sent the navy to
occupy Veracruz.
 In 1916, Mexican General
Pancho Villa killed 18
Americans at the Santa Ysabel
massacre and 17 Americans in
Columbus, New Mexico.