What policy primarily influenced U.S. involvement in Latin America during the early 20th century?

The Roosevelt Corollary was a significant policy that fundamentally influenced U.S. involvement in Latin America during the early 20th century. It was an extension of the Monroe Doctrine established in the early 19th century, which asserted that European powers should not interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. However, the Roosevelt Corollary, announced by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, went further by claiming that the United States had the right to intervene in Latin American countries to stabilize them if they faced financial instability or civil unrest.

This policy reflected a belief that the U.S. had a duty to maintain order and protect its interests in the region, particularly to prevent European intervention. It justified numerous interventions in Latin America, often under the guise of preventing disorder or promoting stability, which significantly shaped U.S.-Latin American relations during this period. The Roosevelt Corollary effectively established a framework for U.S. intervention that was characterized as a protective measure, thus solidifying American influence in the Western Hemisphere and laying the groundwork for future American foreign policy in Latin America.