As the first full term president of the twentieth century, Roosevelt helped usher in many changes and reforms that are still important today. He felt it was important for America to control a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Panama seemed the obvious choice due to its location and size. At the time, the country was controlled by Colombia. After attempts to make an agreement with Colombia concerning a canal failed, America aided Panama in gaining independence from Colombia. Once independent, the United States created a treaty with Panama to gain the canal zone in exchange for $10 million plus annual payments that continue to this day.

Diplomacy and Immigration

One of the cornerstones of American foreign policy was the Monroe Doctrine, which said that the Western Hemisphere would be off limits to foreign imperialism and encroachment. Roosevelt believed in what was called “Big Stick Diplomacy” based on his famous quote, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” Therefore, he added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine that stated that America had a responsibility to intervene, with force if necessary, in Latin America to enforce the Monroe Doctrine.

Roosevelt was also interested in world affairs beyond the scope of American foreign interests. From 1904 to 1905, Russia and Japan went to war because they both had imperialistic designs on Manchuria and Korea. In 1905, Roosevelt offered his services to be the mediator of the peace between the two countries. The designees of each nation met at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Roosevelt's successful mediation led to his being awarded the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.

Just as anti-Chinese sentiment was prevalent in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, anti-Japanese feelings were also on the rise. In 1907, Roosevelt made an agreement with Japan known as the Gentleman's Agreement. According to this agreement, Japan agreed to slow the immigration of laborers to America. In exchange, the United States would refrain from passing a law that would affect Japanese immigration as the Chinese Exclusion Act had done for Chinese immigration.

Square Deal

While in office, Roosevelt was known for his progressive policies and attempts to reform business. One of his nicknames was “Trust Buster” because his administration used antitrust laws to fight against corruption in the railroad, oil, and other industries. His policies concerning trusts and labor reform were part of what he called the “Square Deal.”

Another area of reform passed during Roosevelt's term dealt with the meat packing and drug industries. Upton Sinclair had written a novel called The Jungle describing the disgusting and unsanitary practices of the meat packing industry in graphic detail.

The Jungle resulted in the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. As the names suggest, the first law required the government to inspect meat packing plants and the second protected consumers from mislabeling and other dangerous practices for food and drug production.

Great Conservationist

Roosevelt was well-known for his conservation efforts and was nicknamed the “Great Conservationist.” While known as a big-game hunter, he was also one who believed in preserving wildlife and natural habitats for future generations.

Roosevelt was influenced by John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club. During his time in office, more than 125 million acres in national forests were created. He also established the first national wildlife refuge in Florida.