When Woodrow Wilson came into office, he was “convinced that democracy was gaining strength throughout the world, they were eager to encourage the process.” The Philippine Islands and Latin American states were two of the areas that Wilson hoped to lead to a more democratic way of governing. “Puerto Rico achieved territorial status, and its residents became U.S. citizens.”
The Latin American states did not want to cooperate the same way that Puerto Rico did. “Latin Americans were delighted by the prospect of being free to conduct their own affairs without American interference, but Wilson's insistence that their governments must be democratic undermined the promise of self-determination.” Wilson had to send Marines to stop the fighting in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti, and he ended up just buying the Virgin Islands. …show more content…
The ruler, General Victoriano Huerta, was strict and very mean. He was not willing to work with anyone who wanted to change the way he ruled. “Wilson refused to recognize "a government of butchers" that obviously did not reflect the wishes of the Mexican people.” The European countries did not mind Huerta because their foreign investments were good. Wilson ended up sending troops into Mexico which caused Huerta to lose power. “Early in 1917, when it began to appear that the United States could not avoid being dragged into the European war, Wilson withdrew all U.S. forces from