US and Latin America

Learning Targets I can explain the relationship and involvement between the United States and Latin America including the Panama Canal.    I can evaluate Theodore Roosevelt’s policies and involvement during the United States emergence as a world power. I can identify the connections and similarities between the United States involvements in areas around the world.

Panama canal People wanted a faster way to travel back and forth from the Atlantic to Pacific and vise versa The need for a canal became apparent to the US during the Spanish-American War when it took months for some of our warships to join the fight! A canal would benefit trade and help protect our country. The narrow neck of Central America seemed like the right place to dig this canal.

Panama Canal Hay-Herran Treaty: U.S. negotiated the right to canal and tries to sign treaty with Columbia to build canal Columbia refuses to sign the treaty Trouble in Columbia/Panama: Panamanian revolutionaries want to break off from Columbia; President Roosevelt encourages and supports them

Panama canal Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty: Panama gains its independence and signs treaty to give U.S. control over the Canal zone and permission to build the Panama Canal

Building the Canal The French had begun building a canal in 1881 but by 1887 the French company building the canal had lost 20,000 lives and $300 million. The company was ruined and the building of the canal stopped with only 1/3 of the canal having been dug. When the US restarted work on the canal we faced many of the same challenges.

Problems Building the Canal Disease: The canal route ran through jungles and swamps filled with mosquitoes that carried malaria and yellow fever. Dr. William Gorgas organized an effort to rid the canal route of disease carrying mosquitoes. Terrain: The canal had to be blasted through a mountain range. Steam shovels struggled to cut through the solid rock. Building the canal was dangerous work that cost an additional 6,000 lives and cost America $375 million

What are some benefits of the panama canal?

Problems in Latin America In the late 1800s and early 1900s many Latin American countries were defaulting on debts they owed to European investors. European nations wanted to intervene in Latin America to collect these debts. America was concerned this would be an excuse for European nations to re-colonize Latin American countries.

Big Stick diplomacy Monroe Doctrine: Forbidding further colonization in the Americas and declaring that the United States would view any attempt by a foreign country to colonize the region as a hostile act. Message to Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere Roosevelt Corollary: Declared that the United States would police affairs in the Western Hemisphere to keep Europeans from intervening in the region. “Speak softly and carry a big stick”

Dollar Diplomacy When President Taft took office he also acted to protect US interests in Latin America. Dollar Diplomacy: Policy of influencing Latin American governments through economic, not military, intervention US banks would guarantee the debts of Latin American countries by loaning money in return for business interests and military access to the country

President Wilson President Wilson took a different approach from Roosevelt and Taft. He believed the US had a moral obligation to promote democracy in Latin America. He frequently sent troops into Latin America to end unrest and instill democratic governments.

Wilson, like Roosevelt and Taft would not allow unrest in Latin America to threaten US interests there.

Problems in Mexico Unrest in Mexico led to the overthrowing of longtime president Porfirio Diaz who welcomed US investment but ruled his country harshly. In 1910, Francisco Madero forced Diaz out of power and was supported by the US who wished for a stable government. Madero was killed in 1913 in a power struggle with Victoriano Huerta.

Problems in mexico The US did not support Huerta. Three main revolutionaries led efforts against Huerta in Mexico. Venustiano Carranza Francisco “Pancho” Villa Emiliano Zapata “Watchful Waiting”: The United States waited to get militarily involved in Mexico until they had good reason.

AMerica Gets involved Tensions between the US and Mexico increased when US sailors were arrested in Mexico. Tensions reached a boiling point when the US learned about a shipment of German arms coming into Mexico. US forces invaded and seized the port city of Veracruz to prevent the Huerta government from getting the German weapons.

US Invasion angers Mexico Brink of War US seizure of Veracruz unites Mexicans against US Pancho Villa leads attacks on US citizens in border states US responds by sending 15,000 soldiers into Mexico to capture Pancho Villa. Expedition Fails Peace returns to Mexico in 1920