Age of Imperialism: Chapter 7: Latin America

Our neighbors in the south definitely didn't escape the mind of imperialists. Between the waterways and many resources, Latin American countries were wanted and needed by imperialists. When Teddy Roosevelt was just the governor of New York, republicans decided to nominate him to run against McKinley and was sworn in as Vice-President when McKinley won his second term. Roosevelt took his new position with the same energy as when he took Kettle Hill. Roosevelt strongly believed in a strong sea power and he began to bring the navy back. With America's empire stretched from the Caribbean to the Pacific, the idea of a canal between the oceans came up again and was taken into serious consideration. Captain Mahan thought that the canal would be a strategic center of important.
Roosevelt thought that the canal was the most important action he took in foreign affairs during his presidency. So, the Panama Canal was built.
After the Spanish-American war and before the Great Depression, U.S. troops were sent into Latin American countries thirty-two times. WOW!!! The United States used to Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine to justify their intervention. In this addition, Roosevelt claimed that because the United States were such a civilized nation, we had the right to stop any wrongdoing in the Western Hemisphere.
Teddy Roosevelt said, "Any country whose people conduct themselves well can count upon our hearty friendship. Chronic wrongdoing, however,... may force the United States to exercise international police power." He definitely didn't hesitate to use this power either, he used it to strengthen his country while making sure to keep the balance of world power.
Teddy Roosevelt also adopted the Good Neighbor Policy toward Latin America based on principles of non-intervention in Latin American countries' domestic affairs. This encouraged more and more trade with these countries and it was intended to maintain United States influence within the region. This policy also ended military occupations in Nicaragua , Cuba, and Haiti and changed military interventions in Mexico, Honduras, and Panama.