Big Stick Diplomacy

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Big Stick Diplomacy was the catch-phrase for describing U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that the United States should assume international police power in the Western Hemisphere. Roosevelt borrowed the term from an African proverb, Speak softly and carry a big stick, implying that the power was available to retaliate if necessary. Roosevelt first articulated this slogan at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 1901, twelve days before the assassination of President William McKinley suddenly thrust him into the Presidency.

The intentions of this diplomacy were to protect United States economic interests in Latin America. The ideas led to the expansion of the U.S. Navy and greater involvement in world affairs. All of this in turn led to the Dollar Diplomacy that followed the Roosevelt administration.

It could be seen as a later version of Gunboat diplomacy.

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