Download Turn of the Century in America

Expanding America:
President Theodore
Roosevelt
Objective:
•By the end of the lesson,
SWBAT explain how
America expanded its role in
the world during the
presidency of Theodore
Roosevelt
.
Quick Review!
• Under President William McKinley (1898),
America became much stronger because of:
• A big win in the Spanish-American War
(Think new land owned by America).
• The booming business in America (Steel,
new inventions)!
Getting Rich!
•America was very strong
because they were getting rich
from big business such as steel.
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt
• Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th President of the
United States.
• He served as President from 1901 - 1909.
• He was also a famous leader in the SpanishAmerican War.
• Like McKinley, Roosevelt wanted to show the world
how powerful America had become.
• Roosevelt also wanted to make America even more
powerful!
Roosevelt’s Expansion!
•Roosevelt felt that America should
expand its power and influence
around the world.
•If you were Roosevelt, what would
you do to increase American
power?
Roosevelt’s Expansion
• Roosevelt thought he would make America
more powerful by making it easier for America to
do trade (business) with itself and other
countries.
• Increasing the business that a country does only
increases how much money you make.
• The more trade that you do, the richer you
become!
The Problem
• Having trade between the East Coast of the U.S. and
the West Coast of the U.S. would only increase
business for everyone!
• The East Coast of the United States was having a
hard time trading with the West Coast of the United
States.
• In the early 1900s, the U.S. didn’t have trucks to
bring things back and forth, and there weren’t that
many trains
Why was it hard to do trade between the East
Coast and the West Coast of the U.S.?
Problem
• The distance and time that it took to get from
coast to coast was ridiculously long!
• How would you solve this problem?
The Panama Canal
• Teddy Roosevelt said that the distance was ridiculous!
Something needs to be done.
• He looked at the map and said - We are so powerful,
why can’t we just cut between the land and create a
canal in the thinnest part of the land, the isthmus.
• Pres. Roosevelt used the U.S. power to convince
Panama to allow the U.S. to dig a canal in the middle
of their country.
• Therefore, Roosevelt had the U.S. government fund
and build the Panama Canal!
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal
• The Panama Canal made it a lot easier for the
U.S. to do trade between its East Coast and its
West Coast.
• The U.S. was also able to do more trade with
Asian countries because boats could now cut
through the Panama Canal.
• The Panama Canal made the U.S. even richer!
Panama Canal
•The Panama Canal made the U.S.
even richer because with more
trade, the U.S. was making more
money; more business was
happening!
Teddy Roosevelt Flexes Even More
•If the Canal was not enough to show
the world America’s power, President
Roosevelt also sent the Great White
Fleet around Asian waters to show
the rest of the world how strong
America’s military had become.
The Great White Fleet
Key Points
• President Roosevelt wanted to show the world how
powerful America had become.
• The Panama Canal made trade a lot easier for the
U.S.
• The U.S. increased trade and became richer with
Panama Canal.
• The Great White Fleet was a symbol of America’s
power!