Roosevelt Corollary To The Monroe Doctrine example essay topic

Theodore Roosevelt is said to have been one of the greatest presidents ever. Theodore Roosevelt expanded the role of the presidency into foreign affairs by using The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, this stated that the U.S. had the right to oppose European intervention in the western hemisphere and also to intervene itself in the domestic affairs of its neighbors. This was brought about when the government of Venezuela stopped paying their debts to European bankers. As a result European naval forces formed a blockade around the Venezuelan coast and began to bombard their ports. Roosevelt saw this action as a potential threat to the U.S. and threatened to use American naval power to pressure the European navy to withdraw. ".. the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power" (Roosevelt Corollary). Theodore Roosevelt's first presidency came after the assassination of President McKinley.

He was thought of as the first modern president because he was the first to get involved in foreign affairs, with his Big Stick Policy. Other things he did during his president that are remembered for are his Square deal, Hay-Pauncefote treaty, his corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and his trust busting. The Big-Stick Policy came upon after Roosevelt said that his motto was "to speak softly and carry a big stick". After this the press named his aggressive foreign policy the Big-Stick Policy. Roosevelt acted boldly and decisively in several occasions in his attempt to get the reputation that the US is a world power. Imperialists liked his policy, but there were still critics that disliked the policy and favored non involvement in global politics.

The Square Deal came upon after Roosevelt's first economic crisis. He demonstrated that he favored neither business or labor but insisted on a square deal for both. The strike of the anthracite coal miners was solved when he threatened to take control of the mines. The owners decided to compromise with Roosevelt and granted a 10 percent wage increase and a nine-hour workday. Voters liked the square deal so much the election of 1904 was won decisively by Roosevelt.

The Panama Canal was another good thing he did while in office. Roosevelt had to get a treaty with Britain in order to begin to dig the canal without British involvement. In 1901 the Hay Pauncefote Treaty helped achieve just this. Roosevelt supported the revolt in Panama in 1903, because of this the new government of Panama signed the Hay Buna u Vanilla Treaty of 1903. This treaty granted the US long-term control of a Canal Zone. The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904 was another application of the big-stick policy.

Rather than let the Europeans intervene in Latin America which would be a violation of the Monroe Doctrine he said that the US would intervene whenever necessary. The US sent gunboats to Latin American countries that were delinquent in paying its debts. US sailors and Marines would occupy the major ports to manage the collection of taxes until the Europeans debts were taken care of. Over the next 20 years US presidents used this policy by sending forces to Latin American countries which resulted in poor US relations with the entire region of Latin America. Even though this caused poor relations with Latin America that is not what Roosevelt had intended.

"All that this country desires is to see the neighboring countries stable orderly, and prosperous" (Roosevelt Corollary). Trust-busting further helped with Roosevelt's popularity. He was the first president since the passing of the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890 to enforce it. The trust he wanted to bust the most was a combination of railroads known as the Northern Securities Company.

Roosevelt directed his attorneys to take action against Standard Oil and more than 40 other large corporations. Roosevelt wanted to break up bad trusts, which were hurting the economy and regulate good trusts, which helped low prices to dominate the market. Roosevelt accomplished many things throughout his terms. The things I mentioned above helped him become a good president. He had most of the people on his side with the things he stood for and the laws he passed.

He set standards for presidents to follow and will always be remembered for his outstanding achievements.