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TOPIC 4

WILLIAM H. TAFT & WOODROW WILSON

IMPERIALISM

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Analyze the effects of imperialism on the foreign policy of the United States during the administrations of William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson.

Essential Questions

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President William Howard Taft continued Roosevelt’s policies. He believed that if American business leaders supported Latin America development, everyone would benefit.

Taft’s policy is known as Dollar Diplomacy.American investments and interests abroad would be

protected by the US military..Worked to keep other countries’ influence out of places

where American business interests had developed.

The Taft Approach – Dollar Diplomacy

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1912, U.S. marines invaded Nicaragua, beginning an occupation that would last almost continuously until 1933.

“The day is not far distant when three Stars & Stripes at three equidistant points will mark our territory: one at the North Pole, another at the Panama Canal and the third at the South Pole. The whole hemisphere will be ours in fact as, by virtue of our superiority of race, it already is ours morally.” Taft, 1912

Fun with Dollar Diplomacy

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Although Wilson had primarily been elected to reform national politics and initiate new progressive policies in Washington, he spent the majority of his time as President dealing with foreign policy rather than domestic.

Wilson, along with his Secretary of State William J. Bryan, felt that it was America's duty to protect democracy and free peoples in other countries rather than to spread it throughout the globe.

Wilson was opposed to imperialism and wanted a world free from revolution and war.

Wilson signed a treaty with Colombia to apologize for Roosevelt's acts of aggression during the American- driven Panama Revolution in 1903.

Woodrow Wilson and Moral (Missionary) Diplomacy

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In 1911 a revolution in Mexico forced its leader, Porfirio Díaz, to flee the country.

The new leader, Francisco Madero, was a poor administrator.

1913, General Victoriano Huerta staged a coup in Mexico and presumably had Madero murdered.

Wilson refused to recognize Huerta’s government.

Missionary Diplomacy Tested in Mexico

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Huerta

Wilson

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In 1914 Wilson sent marines to seize the Mexican port of Veracruz after the arrest of several American sailors (and to overthrow Huerta).

The ABC powers–Argentina, Brazil, and Chile–attempted to mediate the dispute.

The occupation of Veracruz did not end until Huerta fled the country, and a new government was established in 1915 under the leadership Venustiano Carranza.

Maybe just a pinch of big stick.

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Opposed to Carranza, Pancho Villa led a group of guerrillas into New Mexico killing 19 Americans in an attempt to draw Wilson into another conflict with Mexico in 1916.

Wilson sent General John J. Pershing with 5,000 troops into Mexico to capture Villa.

Carranza demanded the withdrawal of American troops.

Terrorists or Rebels?

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Although Wilson wanted a more moral approach to foreign policy, he often resorted to military force, similar to the actions of TR and Taft.

Haiti, 1915 – 1934 Dominican Republic 1916 – 1924 Cuba 1917 – 1923 Virgin Islands,1917 (purchased from Denmark)

Wilson’s policies in Mexico and Latin America damaged U.S. foreign relations in the region.

“to restore order and maintain political and economic stability in the Caribbean”

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Taft continued the basic policies of his predecessors in foreign affairs and encouraged more business investment in potential markets.

Despite his loathing of imperialism and his deep belief in self-determination, Wilson resorted to military action in Latin America just as his predecessors had.

Essential Conclusions