Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
Delivered at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 1901, outlining Roosevelt's famed foreign policy doctrine of strong military readiness combined with calm diplomacy.
Full Transcript
In his admirable series of studies of twentieth-century problems, Dr. Lyman Abbott has pointed out that we are a nation of pioneers, and that our history is the story of expanding frontiers.
A nation’s promise is only as valuable as its capacity to enforce it. A good many of you are probably familiar with the old West African proverb: ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.’
If the American nation speaks softly, and yet builds and keeps at a pitch of the highest training a thoroughly efficient navy, then the Monroe Doctrine will go far.
Righteousness must be backed by force. It is useless to preach morality to an aggressor if you do not possess the strength to deter his ambition.
Defining Key Excerpts
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
"A nation's promise is only as valuable as its capacity to enforce it."
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