1. Chapter 20 Section 3
The U.S. and Latin America
POST-war…

2. The Panama Canal
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For HUNDREDS of years people had been
sailing on the Atlantic Ocean around South
America to get to Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
This takes a long time, and the route was filled
with navigation problems and crazy weather.
A plan was devised for a canal across the
Isthmus of Central America…a narrow strip of
land joining two larger areas of land.

3. Isthmus vs. Archipelago

4. The Panama Canal:
Why Panama?
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In 1881, A French company decided to dig the
canal across the Panamanian isthmus, which was
controlled by Colombia, because it is the most
narrow part of Central America
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The French campaign starts the Canal, but they ran
out of money, and the conditions were too
dangerous to finish it
In 1903, the United States sponsors a revolution
against the Colombians to “free” Panama, and
gain control of the Canal.

5. The Panama Canal:
More Problems with have?
 What type of climate does Panama Panama
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What would this lead to?

6. The Panama Canal:
Dr. Gorgas
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William Gorgas will be hired to figure out ways
to rid Panama of mosquitoes that carry Malaria
and Yellow Fever.
After this is done
yellow fever and malaria
become considerably
less threatening.

7. Panama Canal: Building the Canal
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The actual construction of the canal will begin in
1904, and conditions are miserable:
High Temperatures,
High Humidity
 Unexpected delays due to mud and
rock slides
 Extremely Harsh Working
Conditions
 Fear of Disease.
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But the canal will
be finished by
1914

8. The “Big Stick” Policy
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“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go
far.” - T.R.’s fave saying.
He would apply this to his foreign policies.
Meant that if other countries wouldn’t cooperate
with the United States, we would use force to
coerce them.

9. Roosevelt and His Big Stick

10. Monroe Doctrine and
the Roosevelt Corollary
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President James Monroe’s Monroe Doctrine
Americans won’t get involved in Europe’s
business if they stayed out of Latin America.
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The Roosevelt Corollary stated that the United
states would protect its territories if threatened
by other countries, making us a kind of “world
police” for the Western Hemisphere.

11. Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy
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President Taft will have a different approach to
relations with foreigners.
His was Dollar Diplomacy a policy based on
the idea that spending money and creating jobs
through big business were the best way to
expand American Influence.
He asked American businesses to put a large
amount of their trust in Latin America, to make
this more valuable for us

12. The Mexican Revolution
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In 1911, Mexico experiences an uprising, in
which their leader, the U.S. supported Porfirio
Diaz is kicked out of office.
He will be defeated by Victoriano Huerta, who
will seize control of country after revolution.
Wilson refuses to acknowledge his rule, and cuts
Mexico off.
 In reaction, American sailors will be locked up in
Mexico, and they won’t let them go.
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13. The Wild Wild West
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In 1914, claiming the territory should be
Mexico’s, and upset that the U.S. won’t support
Huerta, Pancho Villa raided New Mexico and
burn the city of Columbus down, killing
American citizens.
General John Pershing sent by Woodrow
Wilson to try and capture the bandit in Mexico
They never find him…
 How do people remember Villa’s attacks?
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