Lesson 3.03 Roosevelt's Foreign Policy

• Introduction
• Learn
• Try It
• Task

Introduction

Central Question: How did Roosevelt's policy appear both aggressive and peaceful?

If you have a fender-bender on the way to school or if you are at home alone and feel threatened by someone trying to break into your home, who do you call? The answer, of course, is the police or 9-11, which would send the local police. On a larger scale, when problems arise around the world today, where do most nations turn for help? The United States is the likely answer. America has been called upon as protector of sorts or police, especially in the western hemisphere, since the beginning of the 20th century. This new role particularly took shape during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency.

Take a look at the political cartoon below. Its focus is clearly on the constable or policeman with the large stick who is clearly in charge of the situation. Who is this very busy police officer and why is he standing in the center of these different areas around the world swinging a large stick? Examine the blue icons to see what the characters and captions tell us.

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By defeating the Spanish military in the Spanish-American War1898 war between the United States and Spain over Spanish help territory, the United States had proven its emergence as the world's newest superpower. President RooseveltU.S. President from 1901 - 1909 was keen to expand on this status and implemented a program to modernize and expand the size of the U.S. Navy. Through his peace negotiation efforts, threats of U.S. force, and leadership of the Panama Canalcanal located in Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans effort, the United States displayed its intentions to become a power of great influence and might in world affairs.