 How did Roosevelt and Wilson’s foreign policies promote U.S. power around the world?  How did the Russo-Japanese War, the Panama Canal, and the Mexican Revolution add to America’s military and economic power?

 Russia and Japan were both imperialist countries  The two nations were competing for control over Korea and other Russian territories  The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the Russian navy and won a victory  Japan also won a land battle and secured control of Korea and Manchuria

 Japan won early victories, defeating the Russian navy a second time  As the war went on, both countries wanted to find an end to it:  Japan was running out of men and money  Russia was losing battles  Japan approached Teddy Roosevelt, then President of the United States, to help negotiate peace

 Peace negotiations were held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire  Roosevelt was also able to get both sides to give up some demands to make peace  Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for overseeing these negotiations  This was the first international treaty signed in the United States – U.S. would have more of a world impact after this

 Many people in the U.S. wanted a shorter way around South America for shipping purposes  Roosevelt also wanted the U.S. to build a canal in order to move American naval power  By 1850 U.S. and Britain had agreed to share the rights to such a canal, but by 1901 Britain gave the U.S. exclusive rights to build and control a canal through Central America

 Two different routes were proposed, but the one through Panama was chosen as the best  Panama at the time was controlled by Colombia and Colombia refused to allow the U.S. to build the canal through Panama  Therefore the U.S. encouraged a rebellion that was already brewing in Panama  Panama declared its independence and signed a treaty that let the U.S. lease the land

 Work on the canal began in 1904  Construction of the canal was very dangerous  Builders fought diseases like yellow fever and malaria  Soft volcanic soil was difficult to remove  There were natural disasters such as mudslides and an earthquake  Canal opened on August 15 th, 1914

 The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 said that European powers could no longer influence Latin American countries  Since many Latin American countries borrowed huge sums of money from European banks, Roosevelt feared that European nations might attack Latin America nations if they were unable to pay back debts  The Roosevelt Corollary was added to the Monroe Doctrine  It stated that the U.S. would use force to protect its economic interests in Latin America

 Woodrow Wilson became president in 1912  Wilson believed that the U.S. had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to any Latin American government that was:  Oppressive  Undemocratic  Hostile to U.S. interests

 U.S. businessmen had invested in Mexico – oil wells, mines, railroads, ranches  In 1911 Mexican peasants and workers revolted against the dictatorship – Francisco Madero took over, but failed, and the government was taken over by the military  Wilson refused to recognize this government

 When Mexican officials arrested American sailors in Tampico, Wilson used this as a chance to intervene  U.S. Marines occupied Veracruz – U.S. and Mexico were on the brink of war  Mexican military government collapsed and a leader more sympathetic to the U.S. took over  Wilson formally recognized the new government

 The new government didn’t have the support of everyone  Rebel leaders Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata opposed this government and turned against the U.S. after it recognized the new government  The president of Mexico invited U.S. engineers to come down and operate Mexican mines, however Villa’s men took the Americans off a train and shot them before they reached the mines

 Wilson ordered John J. Pershing and an expeditionary force of 15,000 soldiers into Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa  Mexicans grew angry over U.S. invasion of Mexico  Eventually, both sides backed down