America as a World Power

Big Question

How did Roosevelt and Wilson’s foreign policies promote U.S. power around the world?

How did the Russo-Japanese War, the Panama Canal, and the Mexican Revolution add to America’s military and economic power?

The Russo-Japanese War

Russia and Japan were both imperialist countries

The two nations were competing for control over Korea and other Russian territories

The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the Russian navy and won a victory

Japan also won a land battle and secured control of Korea and Manchuria

The Russo-Japanese War

Japan won early victories, defeating the Russian navy a second time

As the war went on, both countries wanted to find an end to it: Japan was running out of men and money Russia was losing battles

Japan approached Teddy Roosevelt, then President of the United States, to help negotiate peace

Roosevelt’s Impact on the War Peace negotiations were

held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Roosevelt was also able to get both sides to give up some demands to make peace

Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for overseeing these negotiations

This was the first international treaty signed in the United States – U.S. would have more of a world impact after this

The Panama Canal Many people in the U.S. wanted a shorter

way around South America for shipping purposes

Roosevelt also wanted the U.S. to build a canal in order to move American naval power

By 1850 U.S. and Britain had agreed to share the rights to such a canal, but by 1901 Britain gave the U.S. exclusive rights to build and control a canal through Central America

Getting the Canal Site Two different routes were

proposed, but the one through Panama was chosen as the best

Panama at the time was controlled by Colombia and Colombia refused to allow the U.S. to build the canal through Panama Therefore the U.S. encouraged

a rebellion that was already brewing in Panama

Panama declared its independence and signed a treaty that let the U.S. lease the land

Constructing the Canal Work on the canal began

in 1904 Construction of the canal

was very dangerous Builders fought diseases

like yellow fever and malaria

Soft volcanic soil was difficult to remove

There were natural disasters such as mudslides and an earthquake

Canal opened on August 15th, 1914

The Roosevelt Corollary The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 said that European

powers could no longer influence Latin American countries

Since many Latin American countries borrowed huge sums of money from European banks, Roosevelt feared that European nations might attack Latin America nations if they were unable to pay back debts

The Roosevelt Corollary was added to the Monroe Doctrine It stated that the U.S. would use force to protect its

economic interests in Latin America

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson became president in 1912

Wilson believed that the U.S. had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to any Latin American government that was: Oppressive Undemocratic Hostile to U.S. interests

The Mexican Revolution

U.S. businessmen had invested in Mexico – oil wells, mines, railroads, ranches

In 1911 Mexican peasants and workers revolted against the dictatorship – Francisco Madero took over, but failed, and the government was taken over by the military

Wilson refused to recognize this government

American Intervention in Mexico When Mexican officials arrested

American sailors in Tampico, Wilson used this as a chance to intervene

U.S. Marines occupied Veracruz – U.S. and Mexico were on the brink of war

Mexican military government collapsed and a leader more sympathetic to the U.S. took over

Wilson formally recognized the new government

Rebellion in Mexico The new government didn’t

have the support of everyone Rebel leaders Pancho Villa and

Emiliano Zapata opposed this government and turned against the U.S. after it recognized the new government

The president of Mexico invited U.S. engineers to come down and operate Mexican mines, however Villa’s men took the Americans off a train and shot them before they reached the mines

Chasing Villa

Wilson ordered John J. Pershing and an expeditionary force of 15,000 soldiers into Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa

Mexicans grew angry over U.S. invasion of Mexico

Eventually, both sides backed down