The United States and Latin America

By Angela Brown

Chapter 9 Section 4

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Essential Question:What actions did the US take to achieve its goal in Latin America?

Learning Targets:Explain why the United States built the Panama Canal and the impact that it had.

Compare American foreign policy in the early 1900s in Latin America and in Asia.

Describe President Taft’s use of “dollar diplomacy,” including its legacy as an American foreign policy.

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By 1900, U.S. emerged as a World Power, controlled several overseas territories and had a large and vigorous economy.Led to McKinley’s decisive victory in 1900

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McKinley’s assassination put Republican Theodore Roosevelt in charge.

He developed a foreign policy and lead the U.S. to intervene internationally to meet U.S. needs.

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*Civil Government in Puerto Rico

http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/Puerto_Rico_map_caribbean.jpg5

*Foracker Act

After the war Puerto Rico remained under direct US military rule.In 1900, Congress passed the Foracker Act, establishing a civil government in Puerto Rico.US President would appoint a governor and a portion of the legislature.Puerto Ricans would fill the rest in a general election.

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*Citizenship

The question of citizenship remained unclear.The Congress continued to pass legislation to grant Puerto Ricans more rights and give them more control of their legislature.Puerto Ricans continue to vote against statehood today.

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*Cuban Protectorate

US Army did not withdraw until 1902.Congress forced Cuba to add the Platt Amendment to its Constitution before leaving as part of the treaty.This Amendment restricted the rights of newly independent Cubans and brought the island within the US sphere.It prevented Cuba from signing a treaty with another nation without American approval.

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*Protectorate

It required Cuba to lease naval stations to the US. (Guantanamo Bay)It granted the US the “right to intervene” to preserve order in Cuba.This treaty made Cuba a protectorate of the US and governed their relationship until 1934.Replaced the Teller Amendment

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The Panama Canal

The Spanish-American War illustrated a need for a shorter route between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.

A canal could be built across Central America to link the oceans.

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Building the Panama Canal

The Isthmus of Panama was an ideal location.

Panama was a province of Columbia.

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1879 French Company headed by Ferdinand de Lesseps bought a 25-year concession to build a canal

Concession – grant for a piece of land in exchange for a promise to use the land for a specific purpose

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Yellow fever and mismanagement = project abandoned 10 years later

Offered its rights to the U.S. for $100 million

Price fell to $40 million, Congress passed Spooner Act in 1902 – authorized purchase

Act required U.S. work out treaty with Colombia for land lease

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Colombia was waiting for French lease to expire in 1904 to get a higher price.

Roosevelt was enraged.

The U.S. stated would not interfere with a Panamanian revolution against Colombia.

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Revolt took place in Nov. 1903

U.S. warships offshore to provide support for rebels

Immediately recognized Panama’s independence and became its protector

Feb 1904, Panama ratified the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty – gave U.S. a permanent grant of a 10-mile wide strip of land for a canal zone

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Panama received $10 million and an annual rent of $250,000.

Construction began in 1904.

35,000 workers trained from several countries.

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Surpassed all expectations

1914 Canal finished, six months ahead of schedule and $23 million under budget.

*It cut 8,000 nautical miles off the trip from the west coast to the east coast of the US.

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Reaction to Panama Canal

Roosevelt’s opponents did not appreciate the methods he used to secure the canal zone.Most Americans approved of Pres. Roosevelt’s actions in Panama.Panama Canal left ill will among Latin Americans toward the U.S.In recognition of means used to acquire Canal Zone, Congress voted to pay $25 million to Colombia in 1921, after TR died.*5,000 canal workers died from disease or accidents while building the canal.

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Foreign Policy

1901 Roosevelt quoted an old African Proverb: “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick”

“Big Stick” = U.S. Navy

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The Roosevelt Corollary

Corollary – extension of previously accepted idea

Roosevelt extended the Monroe Doctrine.

The U.S. government would intervene to prevent intervention from other powers.

*U.S. would act as a police power to protect the hemisphere.

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Dominican Republic (formerly Santo Domingo) bankruptU.S. took over finances and paid its European debt.Roosevelt’s actions were blocked by Congress.He got around Congress by creating an executive agreement with Santo Domingo’s President.

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Under Roosevelt the U.S. intervened in Latin America often.

Latin Americans and Congress were displeased.

Roosevelt’s single-handed foreign policies strengthened the President’s powers and weakened Congress.

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Roosevelt as Peacemaker

1905 Roosevelt mediated a peace agreement to the Russo-Japanese War.

Persuaded Japan to accept small grants of land and control over Korea instead of a huge sum of money.

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Russia agreed to vacate Manchuria.

Roosevelt succeeded in keeping trade in China open to all nations.

Roosevelt won a Nobel Prize for this mediation.

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Roosevelt won Nobel Prize for mediation

The Treaty of Portsmouth resolved the Russo-Japanese War and earned Theodore Roosevelt recognition by the Nobel Prize Committee.

http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/nobelportsmouth.htm

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Mount Rushmore

Should Theodore Roosevelt’ face be on this monument with these great leaders? Why?

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt

http://www.mikelevin.com/MountRushmore.jpg

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Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”

1908 William Howard Taft was elected President over William Jennings Bryan.Main foreign policy goals to maintain the open door to Asia and preserve stability in Latin America.Preferred “substituting dollars for bullets” – increasing American investment in foreign economies

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“Dollar Diplomacy”

Contemporaries mocked approach = Dollar Diplomacy

$ diplomacy not as successful as Taft hoped – results not always profitable

Created enemies in Latin America who resent U.S. influence.

Anti-colonialism abroad and anti-imperialism at home checked further expansion.

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*Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”

Wilson criticized the two previous administrations and vowed to take US foreign policy in a new direction.

He promised the US would never take another foot of territory by force but would work to promote human rights, national integrity, and opportunity.

This was his message of “moral diplomacy”.

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Woodrow Wilson

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/fileadmin/historyLearningSite/woodrow.jpg 30

Wilson’s Military Use

He did intervene several times to guide Latin America in the direction he felt appropriate.He sent the marines to Haiti to protect American interest from French and German aggression.US soldiers and sailors intervened in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

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Haiti

http://go.hrw.com/atlas/norm_map/haiti.gif 32

*Mexican Revolution

In 1911, Francisco Madero led the Mexican Revolution that toppled Diaz.

1n 1913, Victoriano Huerta seized power and executed Madero.

Huerta pledged to protect American investments but do to moral diplomacy Wilson favored Venustiano Carranza, another reformer, who had organized anti-Huerta forces.

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Mexico

http://images.nationmaster.com/images/motw/americas/mexico_pol97.jpg34

*U.S. Involvement

In 1914, Wilson sent marines to occupy the Mexican port of Veracruz.

Huerta’s government to collapse, and Carranza assumed the presidency.

The new Carranza government was slow in bringing reforms.

Rebels arose again.

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*Pancho Villa

In 1916 Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s forces crossed into New Mexico and killed 18 Americans.President Wilson sent General John J. Pershing and over 10,000 troops on an expedition to Mexico.Pershing’s forces chased Villa for several months.

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Pancho Villahttp://www.facade.com/celebrity/photo/Pancho_Villa.jpg

http://clubs.asua.arizona.edu/~mecha/images/Images/History/pancho.jpg37

*World War I

Wilson eventually withdrew American troops from Mexico in 1917 mostly because of his concerns about WWI raging in Europe.

General Pershing took command of the American Expeditionary Force in France.

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