Blog #5 Theodore Roosevelt

     So these past few classes we have been discussing Dario's poem addressed to Theodore Roosevelt. Additionally we have been talking about Roosevelt's imperialistic policies towards Latin America. I agree wholeheartedly that Roosevelt was interfering too much in Latin America. It is one thing to try to help a developing nation, it is a whole other thing to try and take it over.
     But as we have been discussing I have repeatedly thought that our class was kinda bashing on Theodore Roosevelt. I realize why, but it still just didn't sit too well with me. Therefore I decided to dig up some old A.P. U.S. History notes and talk a little bit about the good aspects of Roosevelt. This may help some to understand why he is viewed by some Americans of as one of The United States' most important presidents whereas Latin American countries view him as a villain.
     The main difference I came across is the difference between Domestic and Foreign policy. I think we can all agree that Roosevelt's foreign policy kind of sucked. His main goal was to obtain control over Latin America and also the Philippines. Because of the Monroe Doctrine Roosevelt believed it was The United States' right to intervene in Latin America.
     I believe that the reason that Roosevelt is viewed favorably in the U.S. is because of his domestic policies. To begin with, Roosevelt created what was called The Square Deal. He tried to make things fair in the United States. This began with him coming to the aide of a labor union in the coal mining industry. He threatened the owners of the mills with federal takeover if they did not negotiate with the labor union.
     One of the greatest accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt was the Sherman Anti-trust Act. After this act was created, Roosevelt attacked monopolies in the American market. He broke them down in order to help consumers in the U.S. First on his list was the monopoly of the railroads by none other than J.P Morgan (that name sound familiar?). He destroyed the monopoly that Morgan had on the railroads which greatly helped consumers. Roosevelt went on to bust many more trusts, making him a sort of a hero to consumers. As I was trying to find how many trust he did bust (sorry, I couldn't find any reliable resources) I came across this disturbing little song that I hope you will enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvZP93XqyTw
     Furthermore Theodore Roosevelt worked a lot to preserve the nations resources. He worked endlessly to protect the nation's woodlands and mountain ranges. He created many new national forests and protected lands which ended up being around 172 million acres (before his presidency there were only 42 million acres of protected land). Additionally he helped to pass the Meat Inspection Act and The Pure Rood and Drug Act. This made products much safer for consumers.
    So that's what I got for the U.S. perspective on Roosevelt, hopefully that clears up the discrepancy between the United States' and Latin American views.