Section 3 – pg 561 The United States and Latin America Chapter 16 Section 3 – pg 561 The United States and Latin America

Linking the Oceans During the Spanish-American War the navy sent the battleship Oregon to Cuba The trip was 14,000 miles and took 2 months It became clear that a shorter route was needed President Roosevelt was determined to build a canal through Central America to link the 2 oceans Pg 561

Choosing a Site Pg 561 Isthmus of Panama was the ideal location Only 50 miles across Isthmus: a narrow strip of land joining 2 larger areas of land 1902: Panama was a providence of Colombia Roosevelt offered Colombia $10 million and $250,000 yearly in rent to allow the US to build a canal through Panama The Colombian diplomat agreed w/o consulting t his gov’t

Roosevelt’s proposal outraged many Colombians Pg 562 Roosevelt’s proposal outraged many Colombians Said was against Colombia’s constitution to give the US permanent control of part of Colombian territory Others were willing to negotiate Claimed the US should offer more money Colombia’s gov’t decided to hold out for more money Roosevelt was impatient Knew the Panamanians were unhappy w/ Colombian rule Secretly told them the US would help them win independence

Revolt in Panama Pg 562 Revolt on Nov 3, 1903 US gunships waited in the harbor to provide support Marines landed in Colon to prevent Colombian troops from reaching Panama City Many Americans criticized Roosevelt for his “gunboat diplomacy”

The US immediately recognized the independence of the Republic of Panama 3 days later, a Frenchman acting for Panama signed a treaty giving the US permanent use of a 10-mile-wide zone across the Isthmus of Panama The US agreed to pay $10 million and $250,000 a year in rent Pg 562

Pg 563 The Panama Canal 1904: US gov’t began to build the canal across Panama President Roosevelt urged engineers to “Make dirt fly”

Pg 563 Fighting Disease First obstacle to building the canal was disease Malaria and Yellow Fever were widespread in Panama Work could not begin until these diseases were controlled Symptoms of Yellow Fever

Most ppl believed that damp air at night caused these diseases Pg 563 William C. Gorgas, an American expert on tropical diseases, took up the problem Most ppl believed that damp air at night caused these diseases Cuban doctor, Carlos Juan Finlay, and an English doctor, Ronald Ross, discovered they were transmitted by certain mosquitoes Gorgas ordered workers to clear brush and drain swamps where mosquitoes lived By 1906, Gorgas had nearly wiped out yellow fever and malaria in Panama

The “Big Ditch” Construction of the canal involved 3 major tasks Cut through mountains Dam a river Erect the canal’s giant locks Raising and lowering water levels allowed ships to cross Panama’s Cordillera Mountains Pg 563

Most challenging part was digging the Gaillard Cut, a 9-mile ditch through the mtns Thousands of men worked day after day under tropical heat and drenching rainstorms Mudslides were a constant problem Engineers and supervisors were Americans Most laborers were West Indians of African decent 20,000 were Barbados More than 6,000 ppl died during construction Pg 563

Despite extra costs and delays, the canal was finished was finished 6 months ahead of schedule Opened August 15, 1914 The first ship to go through the canal was the SS Ancon Pg 563 http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/big-bigger-biggest/videos/big-bigger-biggest-constructing-the-panama-canal.htm

Wielding a “Big Stick” in Latin America Roosevelt was fond of the old Western phrase: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” Roosevelt tried to resolve problems through diplomacy, but wanted the world to know that if that failed, the US would not hesitate to use military force Pg 565

Policing the Hemisphere Pg 565 Policing the Hemisphere Roosevelt applied his “big stick” policy to Latin America Wanted to assert the claim that the US would be the leader in the Western Hemisphere Wanted to prevent European nations from becoming too powerful in the US’s “backyard”

1904: European nations considered using military force to collect overdue debts from the Dominican Republic, a small Caribbean nation Roosevelt wanted to prevent this Sent a message to Congress announcing the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe doctrine Corollary: a logical extension of a doctrine or proposition Pg 565

Roosevelt argued that US neighbors often got into disputes w/ foreign nations and that the US had the right to “exercise an international police power” to restore order Sent marines to the Dominican Republic and took over the country’s finances Pg 565

Dollar Diplomacy William Howard Taft, the next president, had a different approach to foreign affairs Dollar diplomacy: a policy based on the idea that economic ties were the best way to expand American influence US bankers and businesses invested heavily in Asia and Latin America Pg 565

Taft’s dollar diplomacy led to as many military interventions in Latin America as Roosevelt’s When a revolution broke out in Nicaragua, where Americans had invested in, the US sent in Marines Later occupied Haiti & Honduras saying they needed to protect its citizens Many Latin Americans resented the interference Pg 565

Pg 565 Relations With Mexico Woodrow Wilson, who took over after Taft, added another goal to the US foreign policy Should aim to support and nurture democracy throughout the world

Revolution in Mexico 1911: Mexicans had overthrown their longtime dictator, Porfirio Diaz The violent revolution went on until 1917 Wilson followed a policy he called “watchful waiting” He hoped Mexico would develop a democratic gov’t Pg 566

1914: US sailors who went ashore in Tampico were briefly arrested Were released quickly w/ an apology, but Wilson decided to send the navy to occupy the port of Veracruz More than 100 Mexicans died Mexico and the US almost went to war but arranged for peace talks Pg 566

Chasing Villa Francisco Villa, a Mexican rebel general nicknamed Pancho 1916, Villa’s rebels crossed into New Mexico and raided and burned the town of Columbus Killed 18 Americans Pg 566

Pg 566 Mexican president let the US pursue Villa into Mexico General John J. Pershing led several thousand soldiers across the border Many Mexicans saw this as an invasion and demand they leave After 11 months, Wilson ordered Pershing to withdraw w/o capturing Villa Pg 566 http://video.about.com/history1900s/Profile-of-Pancho-Villa.htm