Monroe Doctrine | History, Summary, & Significance | Britannica

Monroe Doctrine, U.S. foreign policy enunciated by President James Monroe in 1823 that the U.S. would not interfere in European affairs and ... MonroeDoctrine Sections&Media Article Introduction&TopQuestionsTheoriginandframingoftheMonroeDoctrineApplicationandextensionoftheMonroeDoctrine FastFacts 2-MinSummary Facts&RelatedContent Media Videos Images AdditionalInfo MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Politics,Law&Government InternationalRelations MonroeDoctrine Americanhistory Print print Print Pleaseselectwhichsectionsyouwouldliketoprint: TableOfContents Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. 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MonroeDoctrine-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) MonroeDoctrine-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica | LastUpdated: Nov25,2021 | ViewEditHistory FastFacts 2-MinSummary MonroeDoctrine Seeallmedia Date: December2,1823 ...(Showmore) KeyPeople: JohnQuincyAdams JamesMonroe ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ TopQuestionsWhywastheMonroeDoctrineimportant?AlthoughinitiallydisregardedbythegreatpowersofEurope,theMonroeDoctrinebecameamainstayofU.S.foreignpolicy.In1823U.S.PresidentJamesMonroeproclaimedtheU.S.protectoroftheWesternHemispherebyforbiddingEuropeanpowersfromcolonizingadditionalterritoriesintheAmericas.Inreturn,Monroecommittedtonotinterfereintheaffairs,conflicts,andextantcolonialenterprisesofEuropeanstates.Althoughinitiallyahands-offapproachtoforeignpolicy,theMonroeDoctrine—andthe1904RooseveltCorollary,whichsupplementedit—laidthegroundworkforU.S.expansionistandinterventionistpracticesinthedecadestocome.UnitedStates:AnageofreformReadmoreaboutU.S.expansionism.WhatwerethebasictenetsoftheMonroeDoctrine?Asarticulatedin1823,theMonroeDoctrinelaidoutfourbasictenetsthatwoulddefineU.S.foreignpolicyfordecades.ThefirsttwopromisedthattheU.S.wouldnotinterfereintheaffairsofEuropeanstates,betheywarsorinternalpolitics,andthattheU.S.wouldnotinterferewithEuropeanstates’extantcolonialenterprises.Inexchange,itstipulatedthattheWesternHemispherewasnolongeropentofurthercolonizationandthatanyattemptonthepartofaEuropeanpowertocolonizeterritoryintheWesternHemispherewouldbeunderstoodbytheU.S.asanactofaggression.WesterncolonialismReadmoreaboutEuropeancolonialismintheAmericas.WhatmotiveswerebehindtheMonroeDoctrine?TheMonroeDoctrinewasdraftedbecausetheU.S.governmentwasworriedthatEuropeanpowerswouldencroachontheU.S.sphereofinfluencebycarvingoutcolonialterritoriesintheAmericas.TheU.S.governmentwasparticularlywaryofRussia,becauseofitsaimstoextenditsinfluenceintotheOregonTerritory,andofSpainandFrance,becauseoftheirpotentialdesignstorecolonizetheLatinAmericanterritoriesthathadrecentlygainedindependence.AlthoughtheBritishurgedtheU.S.tomakeajointdeclarationwiththem,theU.S.ultimatelyoptedforaunilateralonetoavoidanyhindrancetoitsownexpansionistdesigns.historyofLatinAmerica:TheindependenceofLatinAmericaReadmoreaboutLatinAmericanindependencemovements.WhoworkedontheMonroeDoctrine?GeorgeCanning,BritishforeignministertotheU.S.,hadtheideatoissueadeclarationforbiddingfuturecolonizationintheAmericas.CanningsuggestedthattheU.S.andBritainmakeajointdeclaration,becausebothnationshadmotivesforlimitingcolonialism(besidestheirown)intheAmericas.U.S.PresidentJamesMonroeandformerpresidentsJamesMadisonandThomasJeffersonwerereceptivetotheidea.U.S.SecretaryofStateJohnQuincyAdamswasvehementlyagainstit,fearingthatabilateraldeclarationwouldlimittheU.S.’sownexpansionistdesigns.PresidentMonroeeventuallysidedwithAdamsandissuedaunilateraldeclaration.GeorgeCanningReadmoreaboutGeorgeCanning.HowdidtheMonroeDoctrinechangeovertime?AlthoughitforbadeEuropeanpowersfromcolonizingmoreAmericanterritories,theMonroeDoctrinewasdraftedwhiletheU.S.didnothavethemilitarymighttoenforceit.ThatchangedastheU.S.emergedasaglobalpower.The1904RooseveltCorollarytotheMonroeDoctrineassertedtheU.S.roleaspolicemanoftheWesternHemisphereanditsrighttoinvolveitselfintheaffairsofLatinAmericancountries.AlthoughjustifiedundertheauspicesoflimitingEuropeaninterferenceintheAmericas,theRooseveltCorollarydidmoretolaythegroundworkfortheU.S.initsowninterventionistpracticesinthedecadestocome.MonroeDoctrine,(December2,1823),cornerstoneofU.S.foreignpolicyenunciatedbyPres.JamesMonroeinhisannualmessagetoCongress.DeclaringthattheOldWorldandNewWorldhaddifferentsystemsandmustremaindistinctspheres,Monroemadefourbasicpoints:(1)theUnitedStateswouldnotinterfereintheinternalaffairsoforthewarsbetweenEuropeanpowers;(2)theUnitedStatesrecognizedandwouldnotinterferewithexistingcoloniesanddependenciesintheWesternHemisphere;(3)theWesternHemispherewasclosedtofuturecolonization;and(4)anyattemptbyaEuropeanpowertooppressorcontrolanynationintheWesternHemispherewouldbeviewedasahostileactagainsttheUnitedStates:InthewarsoftheEuropeanpowersinmattersrelatingtothemselveswehavenevertakenanypart,nordoesitcomportwithourpolicysotodo.Itisonlywhenourrightsareinvadedorseriouslymenacedthatweresentinjuriesormakepreparationforourdefense.…WiththeexistingcoloniesordependenciesofanyEuropeanpowerwehavenotinterferedandshallnotinterfere.Butwiththegovernmentswhohavedeclaredtheirindependenceandmaintainedit,andwhoseindependencewehave,ongreatconsiderationandonjustprinciples,acknowledged,wecouldnotviewanyinterpositionforthepurposeofoppressingthem,orcontrollinginanyothermannertheirdestiny,byanyEuropeanpowerinanyotherlightthanasthemanifestationofanunfriendlydispositiontowardtheUnitedStates.TheoriginandframingoftheMonroeDoctrineThedoctrinewasanoutgrowthofconcerninbothBritainandtheUnitedStatesthattheContinentalpowerswouldattempttorestoreSpain’sformercolonies,inLatinAmerica,manyofwhichhadbecomenewlyindependentnations.TheUnitedStateswasalsoconcernedaboutRussia’sterritorialambitionsinthenorthwestcoastofNorthAmerica.Asaconsequence,GeorgeCanning,theBritishforeignminister,suggestedajointU.S.-BritishdeclarationforbiddingfuturecolonizationinLatinAmerica.Monroewasinitiallyfavourabletotheidea,andformerpresidentsThomasJeffersonandJamesMadisonconcurred.ButSecretaryofStateJohnQuincyAdamsarguedthattheUnitedStatesshouldissueastatementofAmericanpolicyexclusively,andhisviewultimatelyprevailed.ThefirstdraftofthemessageincludedareproofoftheFrenchfortheirinvasionofSpain,anacknowledgmentofGreekindependenceintherevoltagainstTurkey,andsomefurtherindicationsofAmericanconcerninEuropeanaffairs.Adamsarguedforthebetterpartoftwodaysagainstsuchexpressions,whichwerefinallyeliminatedfromthemessage.newspaperwiththeportionofPres.JamesMonroe'saddresstoCongressonDecember2,1823,inwhichhepresentedwhatwastobecomeknownastheMonroeDoctrineBroadsidefromalocalUrbana,Ohio,newspaper(late1823/1824),withtheconcludingportionofU.S.Pres.JamesMonroe'saddresstoCongressonDecember2,1823,inwhichhepresentedwhatwastobecomeknownastheMonroeDoctrine.TheNewberryLibrary,RugglesFund,2004(ABritannicaPublishingPartner)Adamsnotedinhisdiary,ThegroundthatIwishtotakeisthatofearnestremonstranceagainsttheinterferenceoftheEuropeanpowersbyforceinSouthAmerica,buttodisclaimallinterferenceonourpartwithEurope;tomakeanAmericancause,andadhereinflexiblytothat. 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