President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front.
For the better part of the past century, many citizens of the world have looked at the United States in scorn believing it to be a new world imperialist. While these claims are not always fair or relevant, they are also not completely unfounded. For over one-hundred years, the United States has taken up a practice of involving itself in foreign affairs. The United States was not founded on this principle, but did instead adopted it as it grew. At the turn of the twentieth century, both the Spanish-American War and Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency acted as watersheds in U.S. Foreign Policy, and as a result, the United States began to develop its status as a true world super power.
The United States is the way it is today because of what was accomplished under the careful watch of President Theodore Roosevelt. Having said that, credit must still given to the incredible work done by Roosevelt’s predecessor, William McKinley. There are many reasons why the United States entered war with Spain in 1898, but most notably in McKinley’s mind was the Spanish mistreatment of the Cuban population. While McKinley had great pressure on him from other politicians, the media, the general public, and his own party (including Roosevelt), from the beginning of the Cuban Uprising he urged Spain to find a humanist resolution. When no such resolution was reached, McKinley was forced to either enter open war with a European power or to watch nearby Cuba be mistreated. The United States ultimate intrusion in the Cuban Revolution would set an important precedent for the United States to act as a world peacekeeper. At this point the United States was ready for a great leader to come along and build upon what had been accomplished. This leader would prove to be an incredibly popular and influential person who set the groundwork for the entire twentieth century.
When war broke out in 1898, Theodore Roosevelt was serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Teddy quickly resigned to not just join the army, but he in fact gathered many of his rich aristocratic friends to serve with him in a cavalry unit known as the Rough Riders. Having been born to a wealthy family, many thought Roosevelt had no idea of the severity of the situation he was entering and that this was career, and possibly personal suicide. Roosevelt felt otherwise and would eventually prove them wrong by leading his Rough Riders on a legendary charge up San Juan Hill in a critical victory. Needless to say Roosevelt’s selfless actions earned him tremendous popularity and political power. This made Roosevelt an excellent choice to boost incumbent President William McKinley’s ballot and help solidify the Election of 1900. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Roosevelt became the youngest president the United States has ever had and quickly established himself among the greatest. With an incredible confidence to grasp new responsibilities on the world stage, Teddy did so with American support in full swing.
President William McKinley
When Roosevelt took office he quickly began to transform the UnitedState into a new world imperialist. Whether this policy is good or bad, it certainly has had a profound effect on what has happened over the last century. After defeating the Spanish Roosevelt knew the United States was close to establishing itself on the world stage. Roosevelt, being a man of action, was willing to take measures to establish this.
As an ex-Assistant Secretary to the Navy, Roosevelt understood the importance of having a large and powerful Naval force to protect the coasts. For much of his presidency, Teddy pushed Congress to increase the budget for the creation of a larger Navy. After much of his fleet was built, Roosevelt sent his “Great White Fleet” around the globe in a shock and awe statement to the world. The message was simple, Roosevelt wished to legitimize the UnitedState’s claim as the next world super power. Considering the United States recent victory over a contemporary European power and the emergence of this incredible navy, the world was forced to recognize the United States as an up-and-coming world power.
During this critical period, Roosevelt continued to set precedents in many different fields. He was born with a humanitarian spirit and exemplified this as a peacemaker, beginning with issuing the Roosevelt Corollary. This expansion of the Monroe Doctrine was a preemptive strike against European attempts to target the weak economies of Latin America in a last ditch attempt in imperialism. After watching the United States rise up and embarrass Spain, both England and Germany were intimidated by Roosevelt and his dislike for their intrusion in Venezuela. Having recently witnessed the defeat of the colonial superpower Spain, both England and Germany began to back away from Latin America. While this act can certainly be seen as the embodiment of recent American attitude, it was precisely what the growing nation needed at the dawn of the twentieth century. For the United States and the rest of the Americas to develop to their full potential the residual effects of earlier European colonization would have to end.
Roosevelt continued his peacemaking policy in other ways as well. He quite successfully mediated treaties to end conflicts among other nations. Roosevelt contacted both the Japanese and the Russian governments and played a critical role in mediating an end to the Russo-Japanese War. As a result of this action, Roosevelt became the first United States president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. However; Teddy did not stop there. He also arbitrated a dispute between Germany and France over the rights to Morocco. Between these two actions, many believe Roosevelt prevented what would have been the First World War.
Going forward, the effects of Roosevelt’s policies were seen immediately. First William Howard Taft continued to enforce the Monroe Doctrine; as well as, continuing the United States new role as a Peacekeeper. President Woodrow Wilson would soon take office and use these powers to an extreme level. He not only sent U.S. forces to Venezuela an inexcusable nineteen times, he also helped to contribute to the Communists distrust of Western powers when he sent several thousand soldiers to fight against the Communists forces in the Russian Revolution.
While U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American war is a significant moment in policy, its legacy lies in a relationship shared with Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency. The United States status as a world super power originates in the years immediately before and after the turn of the century. All of the good as well as the bad can be traced to this short period. Whether you support recent foreign endeavors or not, we must recognize this nations success and appreciate Theodore Roosevelt and that entire generation of Americans who sacrificed to give us the lives we have today.
By: Greg Burleson
Edited by: Tabitha Timbrook
1. Monroe Doctrine- President Monroe’s assertion to European powers that the Western Hemisphere was the United States sphere of interest. Monroe warned them against any interference with American affairs. (http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=23)
2. Roosevelt Corollary- Roosevelt expanded on the Monroe Doctrine by asserting that the United States acting as a “international police power” was warranted in order to prevent any need for European intervention. (http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/johnson/trcor.htm)
The Cave 