History, to me, is all of the events that make a person, or a society, who they are. There is an infinite amount that can be learned from other people's mistakes, victories, and defeats. History affects every person. Much can be taken from the decisions of great leaders. From 1895-1970, America had some of history's greatest leaders. .
Theodore Roosevelt ruled the United States from 1901-1909. He made many important decisions that shaped America then, and even still today. Roosevelt increased the power of the president, particularly in foreign affairs. He steered the United States into world politics. One situation that made this possible was the construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt recognized the potential for U.S. trade, and, claiming that the U.S. had the right to impose order in Latin America, he intervened in a Civil War in Panama to foster construction of the Panama Canal. In 1903 Panama signed a treaty for the canal under U.S. sovereignty. He created a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine that prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and gave the United States the sole right to intervene in Latin America. Roosevelt was the first president to travel abroad when he went to Panama to observe construction of the canal in 1906. .
Another way that Roosevelt improved foreign relations was by mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese war, which made him the first American president to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. He reached a Gentleman's Agreement with Japan by forcing San Francisco to end its segregation of Japanese school children in exchange for a curb on immigration of Japanese laborers to U.S. .
Theodore Roosevelt also made huge achievements in conversation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved land for public use and fostered great irrigation projects. The 1906 Antiquities Act set aside 800,000 acres of .
land in Arizona for the Grand Canyon National Monument.
