Theodore Roosevelt Big Stick Diplomacy

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Theodore Roosevelt, also commonly known as Teddy Roosevelt, was born on October 27th, 1858 in New York City. Theodore grew up as a very sickly child and suffered from poor eyesight and asthma. He described himself as “a sickly boy afflicted by asthma as well as poor eyesight” in his autobiography. Despite his health issues, Roosevelt devotedly participated in sports such as football and boxing. Growing up, Roosevelt's father played a major asset in his life. His successful father had very high expectations of him. When he was eighteen he decided to attend Harvard College, where he developed a passion for politics and decided to pursue it. However, after college Roosevelt decided to take a break from politics, and then got married to his wife …show more content…

The “big stick diplomacy” was used to refer to the foreign policy. The point of this act was to avoid war and protect the nation’s political and economical system. Furthermore, “the ultimate aim of big stick diplomacy was to advance the U.S economic aims aboard” (Big Stick). Roosevelt summed up the foreign policy with the phrase “speak softly and carry a big stick.” With this diplomacy he engaged a transaction with the military force if needed. (“Progressive” Encyclopedia) The act was a very wise plan in order to stay out of conflict and help make the U.S more powerful. Roosevelt believed that nations, like individuals, should pursue and maintain peace and order. The most effective big stick was was used in the 1900’s for the “Great White Fleet.” This was because of “the Great White Fleet signaled Roosevelt's to back up his demands with a military force” (Big Stick). The gesture helped Roosevelt tremendously because it went for everything he wanted. In today’s time the big stick diplomacy “has continued to be a dominant aspect of U.S. foreign policy into the twenty-first century (Big Stick). By enforcing these actions, it will help the military's strength, which will be an important asset to the …show more content…

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