America as a World Power

1. What role did President Roosevelt play in ending the Russo-Japanese War?
Roosevelt mediated a settlement between the Russians and Japanese after the Japanese came to him asking for help. The Japanese needed help because they were running out of money and men and did not want Russia knowing so they went to Roosevelt asked him to mediate peace negotiations.


2. What events led to the building of the Panama Canal? What happened regarding Columbia? (Be specific)
Many Americans including President Roosevelt felt that the U.S. needed a canal going through Central America. With a canal, the travel time for commercial and military ships would be greatly reduced and it would provide a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901, Britain gave the U.S. exclusive rights to build and control the canal even though earlier the to countries had agreed to share the rights to the canal. Engineers proposed two different routes that were both possible. One was through Nicaragua and the other through Panama. Even though the path through Nicaragua was easier the government chose the one through Panama because an agent of the French company, who previously tried to build a canal in the area, went to Waashington and convinced the U.S. to buy it's claim. before work could begin the U.S. had to gain permission from Columbia to make the canal. When the U.S. was rejected, Philippe Banau-Varilla, the agent who was sent to by the French company to convince the U.S. to buy the Panama route, began a Panamanian rebellion against Columbia. nearly a dozen U.S. warships were present on November 3,1903 when Panama declared its independence. Soon after Panama and the United States signed a treaty in which the U.S. agreed to pay $10 million plus $250,000 in annual rent for an area of land to Panama.


3. What did the Roosevelt Corollary state?
It stated that the United States will use force to protect its economic interests in Latin America.


4. How did Taft use Dollar Diplomacy to enforce the Roosevelt Colollary on Nicaragua? (Be specific)
The Dollar Diplomacy was the policy of using the U.S. government to guarantee loans made to foreign countries by American businesspeople which inevitably kept European powers out of the Caribbean.

5. Why did Woodrow Wilson invade Mexico?
Woodrow Wilson invaded Mexico because according to his "missionary diploma" the U.S. had moral and responsibility to deny the recognition to any Latin American government it viewed as oppressive, undemocratic, or hostile to U.S. interests; he disliked general Huerta, who took over after Madero overthrew Diaz, and the opportunity came to enforce the missionary diploma when one of Huerta's officers arrested a small group of American sailors in Tampico. They were immediately released and an apology was sent to the U.S. but Wilson used the event as an excuse to intervene in Mexico.


6. What were three major foreign policy goals achieved by the United States in the early 20th century. Be sure to provide an example or two of each.

1. It expanded its access to foreign markets in order to ensure the continued growth of the domestic economy. ex) the building of the Panama canal
2. The U.S. built a modern navy to protect its interests abroad. ex)the presence of warships when Panama declared independence
3. The U.S. exercised its international police power to ensure dominance in Latin America. ex) 1911 rebellion in Nicaragua that almost left the country bankrupt and the U.S. arranged for American bankers to loan the country enough money to pay off its debts