Name: ______________________ 8 SS
Date: ____________ Per: _____
Theodore Roosevelt
The popular acclaim that Theodore Roosevelt
won during the Spanish-American War as the leader
of the Rough Riders, carried him to the governorship
of New York. His political career did not stop there.
In 1900, the Republican Party nominated Theodore
Roosevelt as President McKinley's Vice-President.
McKinley won a second term, and Roosevelt was
sworn in as vice-president. Six months later, on
September 6, 1901, an assassin's bullet killed
McKinley while in Buffalo, NY. At age 42, Theodore
Roosevelt became the nation's youngest president.
Roosevelt assumed the office with the same
vigor with which he charged up San Juan Hill.
Roosevelt soon turned his attention to improving the
American naval forces. Now that America's empire
stretched from the Caribbean across the Pacific, the old idea of a canal between the two
oceans took on new urgency. Roosevelt and others realized the vital importance of having
a canal that could connect the Atlantic and the Pacific. This would not only benefit the
country financially, but it would soon become vital for our military as well.
"The canal," Roosevelt said, "was by far the most important action I took in
foreign affairs during the time I was President. When nobody could or would exercise
efficient authority, I exercised it."
Joining the Waters
Panama was chosen as the ideal location for a
canal to be built. The French soon undertook the
project under the French engineer, Ferdinand de
Lesseps, who completed the Suez Canal in the Middle
East. The French soon ran into numerous difficulties
including various tropical diseases and engineering
problems that caused the construction of the canal to
come to a halt. A French company still owned the
rights of the canal-zone and had approval from the
Colombian government (Panama was still part of
Colombia). Roosevelt offered $40 million for the
right to continue building the canal. He offered
Colombia $10 million for a fifty-mile strip of land that
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he believed would be ideal for the construction of the canal. However, the Colombian
government refused.
Roosevelt still wanted the chance to create the canal and even contemplated
sending the US military to attack Colombia to
take the land forcefully. However, Roosevelt
believed that the people of Panama were ready
to revolt and form their own nation. The chief
engineer of the New Panama Canal Company
organized a local revolt. Roosevelt
immediately sent the battleship Nashville and a
detachment of marines to Panama to support
the new government. The rebels gladly
accepted Roosevelt's $10 million offer, and
they gave the United States complete control of
a ten-mile wide canal zone.
Theodore Roosevelt had entered into another country and used the US military to
achieve his goal of constructing a great canal. He knew not all Americans would approve
of his tactics, but he knew that they would applaud his new creation when completed. To
those who opposed Roosevelt he expressed his desire to explain his decision on using the
military. Roosevelt believed very candidly, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick. You will
go far." In Panama, Roosevelt proved to the world that he was willing to use United
States’ big navy as a stick to further American interests.
Answer the following questions based on the reading.
1. Why did Roosevelt want to improve the US naval forces?
2. Who originally tried to build the canal in Panama?
3. What major setback did Roosevelt encounter when he wanted the US to
build the canal?
4. EXPLAIN Roosevelt’s policy of “Speak softly & carry a big stick.”
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Theodore Roosevelt & Foreign Policy
EXPLAIN whether you feel Theodore Roosevelt’s push in building the United States’
military power was beneficial or not?
Do you think the United States has the right to intervene in other country’s affairs to
benefit our interests?
