Teddy Roosevelt And The Panama Canal Essay

, Research Paper

Teddy Roosevelt was a man who liked to creat a stir wherever he went. He loved mingling with people to boost his own self-image.He loved to impress people with his cowboyism, his collection of guns, and his pintsize spectacles.Also, Roosevelt was a direct-actionist.He wanted to keep the country moving foward and preserve his public image at the same time. He wanted to display to his supporters that he could lead the country and be a jovial person simulataneously. His public image seemed to be his first priority, and when the election of 1904 came approaching, he wanted to show that he could be a bully to smaller countries and impress his people back home.

Over the course of the Spanish-American war , the obvious need for a canal came apparent.The canal would stregthen the navy, and it would make easier defense of the islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The problem of where to build the canal came into play. Congress rejected Nicaragua and Panama was an unwilling part of this project. The course of the building was shifted to Columbia. The United States was trying to negotiate a proposal,although they came up empty-handed . Roosevelt was considerably furious with the result.

Election time was around the corner and he was eager ” to make the dirt fly”

and impress his people with him bullying another smaller country. It?s no surprise

that his bullyish attitude would extend to forgein policies.

Another time of Roosevelt?s bullyish attitude , so he can impress his fellow

countrymen was his dealing with Panama. The Panamanians feared that the United

States would build on the Nicaraguan route. The angry Panamanians revolted , but

U.S. forces crushed the uprising. Roosevelt moved quickly and negotiated that the

zone would be widened from six to ten miles and the price would remain the

same. People thought that Roosevelt created the impression that he was sent

secretly to settle the problem. The truth of the matter is , election was very soon

and he did not want to lose his supporters.

Roosevelt came under fire and had to defend his actions as just and fair.

He claimed that Columbia had been wronged and he was sent a ” mandate from

civilization ” to begin the canal. Although he wasn?t truly open and failed to

express that the Nicaragua route was available. Of course , he wouldn?t want to

mention it because the election was nearing and he didn?t want to lose his many

supporters. Work on the canal began in 1904 , the year of the election.

Roosevelt was a type of bully who just cared about preserving his

wholesome image and having a good time wherever he went. When election time

was nearing , he just stepped on smaller countries that needed to be dealt with

slowly. Obviously , Roosevelt had no time because the election was around the

corner and he needed to make ” the dirt fly. ” It just seemed that Roosevelt

wanted to get elected so he could enjoy his carefree life and he yearned to build

the canal just to show his people that he was successfully leading his country.