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Big Stick Ideology
“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Roosevelt used this term to describe his peaceful negotiations, but his strength and power in the military when dealing with foreign countries. -
Venezuela Affair
In the early 20th century, Venezuela was receiving messages from Britain and Germany about "Acts of violence against the liberty of British subjects and the massive capture of Opal Meso vessels" who were from the UK and the acts of Venezuelan initiative to pay off long standing debts. After British and German forces took naval action with a blockade on Venezuela, Roosevelt denounced the blockade. -
Alaska Boundary Dispute
Gold was discovered in Alaska. Great Britain, challenged the boundary line between Alaska and the British-owned Canadian province of British Columbia, which infuriated Roosevelt. He sent three judges who persuaded a judge in England to side with them. -
Rebellion in Panama
Roosevelt offered Panama a 10 million dollar lease. When Colombia refused, Roosevelt secretly sent money to hire Panamanian mercenaries to revolt and declare independence from Colombia. The bloodless rebellion took place in November 1903; only one person died. The rebels immediately declared themselves the government of the Republic of Panama and within days signed a treaty allowing the U.S. to begin construction of the canal -
Roosevelt Corollary
Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine that basically stated that the US would engage in European and Latin American disputes, instead of the countries doing it themselves. Said that America would pay off Latin America's debts if the Latino countries could not afford to pay off European debts. -
Panama Canal
Construction begins on the Panama Canal. The canal was built to improve movement of goods through Central America by making it easy to cut through the country rather than go around. This is the first act of Teddy Roosevelt involving foreign affairs. -
Russo-Japanese War
Roosevelt was asked to step in to settle a peace agreement between the warring countries of Russia and Japan. He agreed and made peace between the two countries but Japan felt that they deserved more than what they received. Even though a peace agreement had been reached, the relationships between the US, Russia and Japan were worsened. -
US takes over Dominican finances
U.S. sends customs agents to take over finances of the Dominican Republic to assure payment of its external debt. -
Dispute in Morocco
In 1904 France and Great Britain signed a public treaty that granted France sole commercial rights in Morocco and Britain sole rights in Egypt, and that stipulated that Morocco would eventually be divided between the two. Kaiser Wilhem II asked Roosevelt to mediate the dispute in Morocco, but Roosevelt upheld the treaty between Britain and France. -
Nobel Prize
Roosevelt is awarded Nobel Peace Prize for ending Russo-Japanese War in 1905; first American to win Nobel Prize in any of the six categories.
