Chapter 18, sec.4, Critical Thinking #3

What do you think were the similarities and differences between Roosevelt’s Big Stick policy and Wilson’s missionary diplomacy? Use evidence from the text to support your response. Think About:
• the goal of each of these foreign policies
• how the policies defined the role of U.S. intervention in international affairs
• how the policies were applied
Both Wilson and Roosevelt were for imperialism and were trying to gain new territories. However their ways of accomplishing this goal was different. When it came to foreign affairs Roosevelt threatened people in order to get them to do what he wanted. When Panama became independent Roosevelt has many naval ships there and just a few days later Panama and the US had a deal in order to build the Panama Canal. Wilson would set up missionaries in other areas of the world, to spread Christianity, but when fighting broke out, they would end up controlling that land. Both Roosevelt and Wilson used the Monroe Doctrine to reach this goal. Roosevelt used the Monroe Doctrine as a reason to have control over the entire western hemisphere, he said that it gave the US the right to exercise international police power in the Western Hemisphere. Wilson looked at the Monroe Doctrine and came u with his idea of missionary diplomacy. He said that "the United States had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to any Latin American government it viewed as oppressive, undemocratic, or hostile to U.S. interests." When Mexico arrested some Americans, even though they were released, Wilson used it as an excuse to invade and occupy Veracruz, which was a very important Mexican port.