1. United States Involvement in Latin America
chapter 24
United States Involvement in Latin America

2. chapter objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to…
explain why the United States got involved with situations in Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, and Nicaragua
explain how America influenced Latin American governments
tell how the United States gained control of Panama so they could build the Panama Canal
describe American foreign policy goals in Latin America

3. What do you already know?
Where is Latin America?
What countries are in Latin America?
What was the Monroe Doctrine?
What Latin American countries became territories of the U.S. after the Spanish-American War?
What did American businesses want in Latin American countries?

4. Latin America

5. The Monroe Doctrine
When Latin America got independence from Spain, many European countries wanted to make new colonies in there. countries such as Germany, England, and France were trying to take over countries in Latin America. President Monroe wanted those European imperialist countries to stay out of Latin America. He wrote “the Monroe Doctrine”. This doctrine said that European countries must stay out of Latin America. It said that America would fight for this reason.
The Monroe Doctrine was designed to keep the Latin American countries independent and keep the European countries out, but it also made the U.S. the “boss” in a way.
1817 – 1825

6. The Monroe Doctrine
Later on, many American Presidents believed that the Monroe Doctrine made the U.S. the “boss” and the policeman of Latin America. The U.S. got involved with many situations in Latin American countries.
Some people considered this involvement to be good, but others considered it to be imperialism.

7. The Spanish-American War
In 1898, America fought a war with Spain and forced them out of Latin America.
America promised the Latin American countries their independence, but did not really give it to them.
American had become an imperialist country.

8. The Spanish-American War
Find two of the territories taken by the U.S. during the war.

9. What did American businesses want in Latin American countries?
American companies wanted to do business in Latin America.
They wanted raw materials such as sugar, tobacco, fruit, or coffee.
They also wanted new markets to sell their products in.
Many of these companies owned land and businesses. They wanted to protect their land and businesses.
They wanted Latin American countries to have governments that were “friendly” to U.S. businesses.
They wanted to stop revolutions and unions that would hurt their businesses.
This is why America and American businessmen got involved with Latin American politics.

10. U.S. interference in Latin American politics
For 100 years, the United States interfered with Latin American governments.

11. U.S. interference in Latin American politics
Chile
In 1891, there was a civil war in Chile. One side of the Civil War was friendly to American businesses. The other side wasn’t. The American government helped the side that was friendly to American businesses, but they lost the civil war. Chilean people were angry that the U.S. had interfered with their political situation.

12. U.S. interference in Latin American politics
Venezuela
In 1895, there was a dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain. Both countries claimed they owned the land between British Guiana and Venezuela. That land had a lot of gold in it. Great Britain wanted to attack Venezuela.

13. Venezuela
The U.S. cited the Monroe Doctrine. They told Great Britain that the U.S. would fight them if they attacked Venezuela. Great Britain agreed to let a committee decide who owned the land. Venezuela was not allowed to participate in the committee. The committee decided to give the land to Great Britain.

14. U.S. interference in Latin American politics ---Venezuela---
This event showed the world two things about the U.S. First was that the U.S. was the boss in Latin America. Second was that they didn’t have much respect for their Latin American neighbors.

15. Memory check
Why did the U.S. get involved with the situation in Chile?
Why did the U.S. get involved with the dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain?
How did the solution to that dispute anger Venezuela?

16. The Big Stick Policy
President Roosevelt officially expanded on the Monroe Doctrine. His new policy was called the Roosevelt corollary. This policy was also called the “Big Stick” policy. It said that the U.S. would be the boss and policeman in Latin America.

17. The Big Stick Policy
As part of the Big Stick policy, Latin American countries were forced to pay all their debts. When they did not pay their debts, the U.S. military would come and force them to pay.

18. Cuba
In 1898, America took the colony of Cuba away from Spain. Cubans had fought against the Spanish because they were promised independence.

19. Cuba
After the war was finished, America gave Cuba independence, but its government was forced to sign the Platt Amendment. This Amendment gave the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuban politics. American troops often occupied Cuba and told them what to do. America however, helped Cuba to solve many problems such as their problems with malaria. Malaria was a disease that killed many people.

20. Columbia and the Panama Canal
Why did the U.S. interfere in Columbia?
By 1900, America had become one of the most powerful nations on Earth. The key to American power was their navy.

21. Columbia and the Panama Canal
But, the American navy had a problem. They had to fight in two different oceans: the Atlantic and the Pacific. Traveling from one ocean to another was difficult and dangerous. The ships had to travel around the bottom of South America. It took a long time and there were many storms.

22. Columbia and the Panama Canal
America wanted to build a canal as a shortcut between the two oceans. The best place was in the Isthmus of Panama. Panama was controlled by Columbia at the time. Columbia said yes to the canal, but asked for a lot of money in exchange.

23. Columbia and the Panama Canal
America didn’t want to pay so much money, so instead they made a deal with a revolutionary group in Panama. The revolutionary group wanted to make Panama independent from Columbia. The U.S. sent their army and navy to help them. When the revolution was finished the revolutionary group let the U.S. take the Canal Zone for cheap.

24. The Panama Canal
In 1914, when the canal was finished, America could move its ships from ocean to ocean very easily. This made America much stronger.

25. Memory check What was the Big Stick Policy?
How did the U.S. treat Cuba after the Spanish-American War?
Why did the U.S. want to build a canal in Panama?
How did the U.S. get permission to do so?

26. Dollar Diplomacy
After Roosevelt came President Taft. Taft liked big business. He changed the Monroe Doctrine into “Dollar Diplomacy”. Taft’s goal was to help American businesses be more successful in Latin America. He often sent troops to support unpopular Latin American governments that helped U.S. businesses. Sometimes he replaced governments that didn’t help.

27. Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, American businessmen acted like kings. The workers were very poor and had no rights. A man named Sandino started a communist revolution. He wanted to take the businesses away from the Americans and give them to the Nicaraguan workers. American troops came to Nicaragua to fight against Sandino. They stayed for twenty years and protected businessmen who were terrible and brutal.

28. Mexico
In 1910 a revolution started in Mexico. Different groups fought for control of Mexico. One of the groups was led by a man named Pancho Villa. Villa was angry because the United States was helping his enemies. American businessmen wanted to protect their property in Mexico. In 1916, Villa and his men entered the U.S. and killed some Americans. The U.S. army chased Villa across Mexico. Mexicans were angry because the United States had invaded Mexico.

29. Memory check What was Dollar Diplomacy?
Why did the U.S. send troops to Nicaragua?
Why did the United States invade Mexico?

30. The Good Neighbor Policy
In the 1930s, Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt changed the Monroe Doctrine. They started the Good Neighbor Policy. They promised not to send troops to Latin American countries or interfere with their problems.
America continued to interfere with Latin American politics though.

31. Memory check
How were the Big Stick Policy, Dollar Diplomacy, and the Good Neighbor Policy different?
Why did the U.S. interfere in Latin American politics?