Historians used ‘progressive diplomacy’ as an expression to explain the presidential regards of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Both Roosevelt and Wilson, during their presidency, dealt with extreme reforms in foreign policy to change the old world order. Progressive Diplomacy, describes the trading expansion in the United States, during 1901 through 1920, which both Roosevelt and Wilson funded by accelerating the military forces in the United States. In their precedencies, Roosevelt and Wilson used the ideology of progressivism to shape their approach in changing the United States’ foreign policies through expanding the military and giving a new world order by using the value of moralism. Theodore Roosevelt used his ‘Big Stick’ approach to impact other nations in order to solve disputes with the Caribbean. Using a progressive ideology he believed in order to conserve and grow the United States’ economic and political stature, the military needed to be strengthened. He described his activism as a silent but an aggressive movement. Roosevelt’s pursued plans to enlarge foreign policy, was to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, which would expand the United States trade. He first tried to compromise a leasing consensus with Columbia, which in turn was rejected by Columbia’s senate, in the fall of 1903. Coming up with a new strategy, Roosevelt plotted against Colombia. He told Philippe Bunau-Varilla, an engineer agent for the New Panama Canal Company, that the United States was sending over warships to the Panama Canal. By November 1903, when the USS Nashville ship docked in Colón Harbor, the province of Panama set fourth as independent from Columbia. Less than two weeks later, Bunau-Varilla, who also served as a minister of Panama, signed a treaty which permitted the United States unlimited access to over a ten-mile-wide canal zone. Not only was this a foreign policy victory, but in 1903 Roosevelt also issued the Elkins act, which gave penalties for giving and receiving railroad rebates. By 1906, the Hepburn Railroad Regulation Act was issued which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission power to control the railroad rates. Woodrow Wilson followed for precedency after Taft, and gave the United States’ foreign policies foundational principles that were engaged with moralist faith and a realist’s understanding of the power of international commerce. In order to improve and expand America economically, Wilson believed democratic concepts and Christianity was a civilizing force in the world. Wilson being a corporate political figure emphasized foreign investments and industrial exports, to guide America to prosperity. The United States having a superior industrial efficiency, made Wilson believe that supremacy in world commerce could be accomplished by removing artificial blockades to free trade. Extending the Open Door principles, Wilson advocated for advanced military measures. By 1910, American companies owned over one hundred and thirty acres of Mexico’s land and American companies also had already exploited Mexican natural mining resources of gold, silver, and copper. As a revolutionary movement, Wilson expressed remorse for the Mexican-American War.
Before Wilson was in office, lieutenant Victoriano Huerta murdered Francisco Madero and Great Britain and Japan recognized Huerta as a regime. Wilson’s strong beliefs in morality, as president, announced that the United States would not support governments that did not follow in the rule of law. An armed block against Huerta, known as Constitutionalists, led by Venustanio Carranza began in Northern Mexico and both sides refused Wilson’s efforts to come to a compromise. He further isolated Huerta by manipulating the British to withdraw their support in exchange for guarantees of English property interests in Mexico. In 1914, Wilson used a minor insult as reasoning to invade Mexico, which led to the naval forces occupation over Veracruz, the main port where Huerta received armed shipments. His tries to lead Mexico to a revolution and protect the United States interest only left distrust and suspicion with Mexico. He wanted the United States to use its material and moral influence to create a new order that would soon engage America in Europe’s most vicious war and most crucial revolution, the Great War.
In conclusion, both Roosevelt and Wilson made huge reform foreign policy figures by strengthening the military and forcing America to expand trade. Roosevelt’s quiet but aggressive ideology to progress trade was most effective, as was Wilson’s reign that limited a foreign policy by tying it to morality. Wilson’s vision embedded the idea of American exceptionalism. American liberal values, established capital development, democracy, and free trade, was Wilson’s ideal visions of America’s gateway to the future. As leaders Roosevelt and Wilson made a profound world order that progressed the United States’ military system and improved and expanded trade.