Final answer:
In the nineteenth century, U.S. policy toward Latin America oscillated between supporting independence from European powers and exerting American influence through recognition, strategic interventions, and economic mechanisms like Dollar Diplomacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the first half of the nineteenth century, U.S. policy toward Latin America was primarily driven by several interests. Initially, the U.S. recognized the newly independent Latin American countries to curb European influence and aid commercial relationships. As the century progressed, strategic concerns, such as securing routes for the Panama Canal, and a desire to assert dominance over potential rival powers, particularly through mechanisms like Dollar Diplomacy, became more prominent. The U.S. frequently intervened in the region, tacitly or openly supporting movements that aligned with its interests, including independence movements that undermined Spanish control. Essentially, the policy wavered between supporting independence and exerting its own influence, often at the cost of the political and economic stability of the Latin American nations.