Theodore Roosevelt famously said to "speak softly and carry a big stick". This was shown in how he handled foreign affairs. He never actually had to use violence to intimidate countries, he just flaunted his military forces and power. An example would be the Great White Fleet which was a group of American warships that toured the world peacefully to show off strength. Roosevelt used his "big stick" (lol that sounds kind of funny anyways continuing on) to offer support to Panama if they decided to revolt against Columbia. By doing this, it supported America's plans to build the Panama Canal.
