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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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”

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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”

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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