USS Alabama with Officers, circa 1908

 Cross-Link:

Historical Biography page for Theodore Roosevelt

The Great White Fleet was commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt and began sailing on December 16, 1907 until February 22, 1909.

The ships were painted white instead of gray earning it the nickname "the Great White Fleet".

The fleet made two trips as some of the ships departed for other duties while other ships joined. When an earthquake had struck Sicily, the Great White Fleet had stop there to help with the wreckage. 

The four squadrons of ships were manned by 14,000 sailors. This was the first cruise around the world by a team of steel battleships.

It was the belief held by Roosevelt and many others that with a strong navy, the U.S. would be able to project its military (in particular naval) might to the rest of the world. 

Cruise of the Great White Fleet (1907-1909) from Navy History and Heritage Command. In its round the world sail, the fleet covered

• 43,000 miles
• Six continents
• 20 cities
• 14 months

Other facts:

• The Great White Fleet traveled to various countries including: Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, Egypt, Italy

• This strategy was believed to increase friendly relations between the U.S. and other countries

• Example of "carry a big stick" ideology. 

Click here for a short, fun video explaining the Great White Fleet. 

Historical Context: 

The Great White Fleet is an important symbol of America's military might. In order to understand the context in which the Great White Fleet was created, it is important to examine the years leading up to its creation. 

The Spanish-American War: 

The Spanish American War was fought in 1898 when the U.S. intervened in Cuba in order to drive out the Spanish. The Cubans did not want the U.S. to intervene as they feared that the U.S. would take the place of the Spanish and attempt to control them economically and politically. The U.S. intervened anyway and the war was successful and the U.S. won which led to acquisition of the following territories: the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 

As of today, Puerto Rico is regarded as a U.S. territory. With this status, Puerto Rico cannot have a vote in Congress but can elect their own government. Click here to learn more about Puerto Rico's current status as a U.S. territory.

The Philippines acquired its own independence in 1946, and elected its first president in 1935.  Click here to learn more about the Philippines declaring independence in 1946. Despite independence, due to U.S. intervention the economy of Philippines has been greatly effected.

Guam is considered a "unincorporated territory of the United Status". The restrictions placed within Guam include: not being able to vote for president, unable to vote for members of Congress, and the U.S. can overturn any law passed.

Cuba was brought under U.S. occupation but in 1904, the U.S. gave Cuba's its independence. Click here to learn more about how U.S. intervention in the Cuban-Spanish War impacted U.S.-Cuban relations. 

Alfred Thayer Mahan  

Alfred Thayer Mahan held many strong beliefs about how the U.S. should handle the domestic troubles it was soon to face. Examples of his ideas include: 

• the U.S. had to go beyond it's boarders and trade with other countries 
• in order to do so, US needed merchant Navy, able to bring American goods to foreign countries 
• naval ships had to be strong enough to destroy opposing ships 
• needed network of naval bases so that supplies could be transported  

Many of Mahan's ideas were also something Roosevelt believed. At the time Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy, (1897-1898) many U.S. territories would be added and serve as coaling stations. In 1898, as a result of the Spanish-American War, the territories that would be added were Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. 

Theodore Roosevelt: 

Click here for a video providing background about Theodore Roosevelt. 

• came into power after the assassination of President McKinley in 1901. 
• fought in the Spanish American War, famously known as a lieutenant colonel in the Rough Rider Regiment 
• believed that the government should be an arbitrator when there is conflict between capital and labor 
• known as a "trust buster" (enforced anti-trust legislation)
• worked to help create the Panama Canal which would provide a shortcut from the Atlantic to the Pacific
• added land to national forests and public use 
• "big stick ideology" do not be overly aggressive in world affairs but the country will have the ability to defend itself if need be  

Map of the Panama Canal:

Great White Fleet from Theodore Roosevelt Center, Dickinson State University

The Great White Fleet: Reassessing America's Rise to Power

Click here for an interactive map following the Great White Fleet's travel. 

Click here for a short, fun video explaining the Great White Fleet. 

Great White Fleet in Sydney Harbor, 1908

Click here to learn more about the Great White Fleet's arrival in Australia. 

Click here for a video that details the US navy's expansion from the time of the Civil War to 1909. 

Primary Sources

Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, Library of Congress

The Great White Fleet Visits Japan 1908

Scrapbook from the Round-the-World Voyage of the Great White Fleet, from History of the Navy in 100 Objects on YouTube. This segment is based on a scrapbook from a crew member

After the success that the U.S. had in the Spanish-American war, the U.S. had a boosted sense of confidence in its military ability. To prove its naval might globally, Roosevelt arranged for this Great White Fleet to travel to different countries leaving various leaders and their people in awe. The Great White Fleet was a further exclamation of ability of America and signified its potential on a world stage. The success at the navy at this time would only encourage the U.S. to get involved in other worldly affairs. This trip was also incredibly useful to the U.S. navy as offered important practice in sailing and naval officers were able work towards perfecting logistics at sea.  

Teaching Resources

Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Affairs, Miller Center, University of Virginia