President Theodore Roosevelt's most famous quote is his advice to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” But it is often taken out of context, leading to misconceptions about his foreign policy approach. With the assassination of President William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the 26th and youngest President in the Nation's history. This unexpected turn of events thrust him into a position of power where he had to navigate the complex world of international relations.
Roosevelt wanted the U.S. to wield 'a big stick' in global affairs, the way European empires did. On 3 September 1901, before a strenuous day of shaking a thousand hands and reviewing Minnesota National Guard troops, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt found himself catapulted into the presidency. This sudden shift in leadership style brought about a new era of American foreign policy, one that emphasized strength and diplomacy.
Obama has turned Teddy Roosevelt's famous maxim on its head by adopting a more nuanced approach to foreign relations. The expression “speak softly and carry a big stick” is a proverbial sentence, popularized by American president Theodore Roosevelt, that encapsulates the idea of using both diplomacy and military power to achieve strategic goals. This maxim can be parroted on command when you ask someone what they know about President Theodore Roosevelt, but its true meaning goes much deeper than mere words.