William N. Tilchin organizes, explains, and defends the diplomacy of President Theodore Roosevelt. Tilchin lays out the three guiding principles of Roosevelt’s foreign policy: that the United States needs to engage with the global community; that power must be behind the nation’s diplomacy; and the United States should cultivate a close relationship with Great Britain. Tilchin also examines Roosevelt’s style of diplomacy with an emphasis on his personal direction and informality, and he describes the precepts of “big stick diplomacy.” Tilchin also divides Roosevelt’s foreign policy into three periods during his presidency, and he cites specific examples of Roosevelt’s management of various crises and events from the acquisition of the Panama Canal to the voyage of the Great White Fleet. Tilchin highlights Roosevelt’s careful and continual cultivation of a relationship with Great Britain, and he examines Roosevelt’s legacy by looking at the foreign policy undertaken by succeeding administrations in the twentieth century. 

 

Photographs of Roosevelt as assistant secretary of the navy, army officer, and president appear in the text as does a photograph of Secretary of State George P. Schultz.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2008-07-08

Creator(s)

Tilchin, William N., 1950-

Language

English

Period

Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)

Page Count

9

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Magazine article

Rights

No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.

Citation

Cite this Record

Chicago:

Theodore Roosevelt and foreign policy: The greatest of all U.S. presidents. [July 8, 2008]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308323. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Tilchin, William N., 1950-. Theodore Roosevelt and foreign policy: The greatest of all U.S. presidents. [8 Jul. 2008]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308323.

APA:

Tilchin, William N., 1950-., [2008, July 8]. Theodore Roosevelt and foreign policy: The greatest of all U.S. presidents.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308323.

Cite this Collection

Chicago:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.

APA:

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.