Theodore Roosevelt, Anglo-American Relations, and the Jamaica Incident of 1907

Abstract

The Jamaica (or Swettenham) incident of 1907 is one of the better-kept secrets of the early-twentieth-century history of American foreign relations. Neither historians studying Anglo-American relations nor those focusing on the diplomacy of Theodore Roosevelt have accorded this incident more than passing attention.1 What occurred in Jamaica in January 1907 and the ensuing diplomatic activity admittedly constitute only a secondary episode in the history of the Anglo-American relationship and of Roosevelt's foreign policy. Both the nature and the timing of this incident, however, place it in an excellent position to be used as a gauge of the still relatively young Anglo-American rapprochement and of the depth of Roosevelt's attachment to it during the closing years of his presidency. In addition, the Jamaica affair sheds new light on President Roosevelt's approach to foreign policy and on the style in which he conducted it. Less important but not immaterial, the story of the Jamaica incident is entertaining and intriguing in its own right. It is time to bring this story out of the archives and into the historical literature.2