Theodore Roosevelt Foreign Policy Essay

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Often regarded as the first modern president, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, served two terms in a pivotal time in history. Roosevelt came to power under odd circumstances- he was first elected to be Vice President, but rose to the Presidency after William McKinley was assassinated. While his presidency was technically a mistake, Roosevelt handled the turbulences of the turn of the century quite effectively, demonstrating his aptitude for dealing with internal and diplomatic affairs. The major contributions of his presidency were in regards to his domestic and foreign policy, which pushed the United States into the 20th century.
President Theodore Roosevelt was elected under the Republican Party, whose platform
Roosevelt aspired to bring the United States out of isolationism and to make it a major world power. In fact, his mantra regarding foreign policy was “speak softly and carry a big stick,” which meant that the United States should be non provocative but assured in their diplomatic affairs. Roosevelt believed a president should be capable of backing his statements with military force if need be, which is a principle that guided his presidency. For instance, he used his executive power in Latin America to help Panama secede from Colombia, which later catalyzed the building of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt also issued a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which established that the United States would “would bar foreign intervention in Latin America and act to police the hemisphere, ensuring that countries paid their international debts.” Additionally, Roosevelt greatly expanded the US Navy, making the United States military force a major international power. Finally, Roosevelt used his ideas to help regulate foreign diplomatic issues as well, such as leading negotiations that ended the Russo-Japanese War, which won him a Nobel Peace Prize. Ultimately, Roosevelt was a strong central figure who involved the United States in the global political sphere and strengthened the nation’s influence

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