Latin America and Big Stick Diplomacy
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The Panama Canal

           After the Spanish-American War, the United States gained some respect from the European powers; however, the Latin American countries grew suspicious of the United States’ motives.  After the assassination of William McKinley, the president elected in 1900, Theodore Roosevelt came into office. 
    
     With an imperialist outlook on the world, Roosevelt began negotiations for the Panama Canal, which was met with some hostility from Colombia, who owned Panama at that time.  After, aiding Panama in their fight for independence, the Panama Canal was built.
 
     At this time, the actual Roosevelt Corollary did not exist, however, Theodore Roosevelt was always an imperialistic president, and the actual term used to describe the issues in Panama was called “gunboat diplomacy"1.  The situation in Panama made Latin American countries apprehensive toward the United States, also referred to as the “Colossus of the North”2

1.)  William J. Michalski “The New AP Study Guide”

2.)  William J. Michalski “The New AP Study Guide”

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Venezuela and the Dominican Republic

     The actual Roosevelt Corollary was created when Germany and Britain’s method of bill collection in Latin America supposedly violated the Monroe Doctrine. 

     The original idea was that in future financial crises in the Western Hemisphere, the United States would intervene, assisting the Latin American countries in paying off their debts, managing customhouses, thus avoiding European interference in the Western Hemisphere. 

The United States’ motivation was to secure dominance over the Caribbean in order to protect its own interests in Latin America.  However, this motivation was concealed, and as a result of the United States intervention, several areas of Latin America were made into protectorates of the United States.  








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