Big Stick Diplomacy

1. Big Stick Diplomacy In a 1901 speech, Roosevelt said, “speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far.” What he meant by this African proverb was to always work things out peacefully, but do not be afraid to use a “big stick” to get things done, referring to the military, political, and economic power of the United States of America.

2. Explain how the quote below and the political cartoon describes Roosevelt’s foreign policy? “Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far.”

3. The Spanish American War proved the U.S. was a world power. As a world power, it was the US duty to protect the people in the Western Hemisphere. Theodore Roosevelt believed the United States was the policeman of Latin America.

4. The Roosevelt Corollary The Monroe Doctrine, written in 1823, had warned European nations to stay out of the affairs of South America and Latin America. By 1900 it was no longer stopping them. With European countries threatening to take over in the Western Hemisphere, Roosevelt stepped in and wrote the Roosevelt Corollary.

5. The Roosevelt Corollary 1. It is the right of the United States to interfere in any economic matters of any nation in the Americas. 2. It is the right of the United States to exercise international police power.

6. This political cartoon illustrates Roosevelt’s “Big Stick Diplomacy”. He stands in the middle of South America and Europe as a the “world’s policeman”.

7. Why Was the Roosevelt Corollary Needed? Trouble in Latin America with European countries worsened. Roosevelt sent a powerful fleet of warships to areas in Latin America as a show of force to the Europeans. Roosevelt tried to be a good neighbor by policing the region. However, he was also interested in helping the US. Roosevelt was interested in building a canal to link the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

8. . Roosevelt wanted to build a canal in Panama to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Unfortunately, Panama was controlled by Colombia at the time. Roosevelt offered a large amount of money for the rights to build a canal in Panama, but the Colombians wanted more money. Since the Colombians wouldn’t cooperate Roosevelt got out his “Big Stick,” and sent the U.S. Navy to Panama to help support a revolution for their independence from Colombia. Panama won its independence and allowed the US to build a canal in Panama.

9. How did Theodore Roosevelt use Big Stick Diplomacy in the building of the Panama Canal? Roosevelt sent American warships to Panama and helped pay for the revolution so they could get their independence from Colombia. In exchange for this help, the U.S. would get to build a canal through Panama.

10. This cartoon is entitled “The Big Stick in the Caribbean Sea”. President Roosevelt is reminding the European powers of the Monroe Doctrine and his addition to this doctrine—The Roosevelt Corollary. This states that the U.S. could use force to protect any country in the America’s. This cartoon shows Roosevelt bringing his “big stick”—the navy into Latin America.