Wilson and Roosevelt's Foreign Policy

American foreign policy in the early 19th century changed as new presidents of different natures were voted in. For example Roosevelt and Wilson's foreign policy towards Latin America were extremely different due to Roosevelt's determined and impatient nature and Wilson's moral diplomacy.

For example, on the issue of the Panama Canal, Roosevelt acted rationally while Wilson acted morally. Before the construction, Colombia refused to grant America permission to build the canal through their territory. The eager Roosevelt agreed to support a revolt by Panama against Colombia as a way to gain control over Panama in a quicker way. The revolt succeeded in favor of America and Panama and the construction was able to begin in 1904. When Wilson took office, he loosened America's control over Panama, a country that wasn't legally in American territory, so that American ships should also pay toll charges in Panama. Although this was uneconomical for the Americans, it was beneficial for Panama and for America's moral standards, according to Wilson.

Additionally, pertaining to the Philippines, Roosevelt was assistant secretary of the navy and was an expansionist who wanted to show off the American naval power. The American navy, under Roosevelt's command, blasted the Spanish fleet. After Roosevelt was successful at sea, he went to join the fight on land along with the Cubans against the Spanish. After all this, despite the Teller Amendment, congress forced the Cubans to agree to the Platt Amendment, which limited Cuban freedom drastically. When Wilson became president, he passed the Jones Act of 1916 which firstly, granted full status to the Philippines and secondly, offered a bill of rights to the Filipinos and thirdly, promised them freedom as soon as a stable government would be established.