Dollar Diplomacy in the Honduras by Aaron, Evan, Terrance MAP OF HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA BACKGROUND

The presence of the US in the Caribbean and Latin America increased after the Spanish-American War The start of the construction of the Panama Canal ushered in an expansion of trade for the US As a result, the US played a more active role in the Caribbean and Latin America

OVERVIEW

José Santos Zelaya López was the president of Nicaragua from 1893 to 1909 In 1907 Nicaragua attempted to overthrow the president of Honduras at the time, Manuel Bonilla Miguel Dávila rises to power and becomes president of Honduras in 1908 In 1908 President William Howard Taft noticed that Honduran debt was over $120 million U.S. senses instability and attempts to aid Honduras financially through provisions for a US customs receivership Caused backlash in Honduras THE SITUATION

Nicaragua invaded Honduras in 1907, and Bonilla was overthrown This ushered in a period of chaotic instability US prompted to respond and stabilize Honduras The US became involved because they disliked the role Zelaya was playing in regional affairs and wanted to protect the North American bananas trade from Nicaraguan influence Military intervention - US marines stationed at Puerto Cortés Marine forces were deployed to stop a Nicaraguan attack on Bonilla’s last defense at Amapala in the Golfo de Fonseca. EL GOLFO DE FONSECA ANALYZING THE SITUATION

The US had only played a small role in internal Honduran political matters before this incident There was not a resident US minister in Tegucigalpa, so the minister to Guatemala had been appointed to that position Dollar diplomacy was not very effective; Honduras did not completely collapse but anarchy and revolts were common Devolved into war ANALYZING THE SITUATION

This situation exemplifies that the imperialist ideals of America carried into the Progressive Era Remnants of Monroe Doctrine era Taft's vision for money over war was idealistic and not geared towards real-life scenarios as well as Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy AFTERMATH + EFFECTS

After 1912, political leaders in Latin America detested Taft's policy and attacked it President Woodrow Wilson publicly stated that he would not engage in special interests in Latin America through diplomacy The development of the banana production industry spurred organized labor movements in Honduras and the first major labor strikes in the nation's history. REMARKS

This situation illustrates an example of Progressive policy that did not "move the country forward" The US's intervention did not improve relations or conditions in Latin America and many Latin American citizens felt frustrated with the US CLOSING QUESTIONS

In your opinion do you think the US should have intervened in Honduras and Nicaragua’s dilemma? If not, why? How would you have dealt with the situation if you were Zelaya? Dávila? Who do you think had the most physical influence/power during this time period? Honduras or Nicaragua and why? Why do you think Bonilla tried to rebel against Dávila? Would you have done the same thing if you were Bonilla? To what extent does this situation in Central America reflect the current political tensions in Asia? WORKS CITED Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “José Santos Zelaya.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Santos-Zelaya. “Dollar Diplomacy.” Encyclopedia of the New American Nation. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://www.americanforeignrelations.com/A-D/Dollar-Diplomacy.html. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Santos-Zelaya. Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com, 2019. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs- transcripts-and-maps/davila-miguel-r-1927. Google Maps. Google. Accessed October 8, 2019. https://maps.google.com/. Haggerty, Richard & Richard Millet. "Historical Setting". A Country Study: Honduras. Library of Congress Federal Research Division, 1993 Honduras - The Expanded Role of the United States. Accessed October 3, 2019. http://countrystudies.us/honduras/16.htm. “Miguel Dávila.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miguel-Davila. “University of Central Arkansas: UCA.” Political Science. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/western-hemisphere-region/honduras-1902-present/. Map #1 Image: https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/dam/deza/Images/Karten/America_central_DEZA_en_web.jpg/_jcr_content/ren ditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.588.368.png KAHOOT

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