Monroe Doctrine

Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine is the title given to a position taken by President James Monroe in 1823 when he asserted that the United States would not tolerate the interference of any other country in the affairs of the Americas.

Fast Facts

Proclaimed: 1823
England had wanted it to be a joint statement¹
Was not referred to as the "Monroe Doctrine" until the 1850s²
Roosevelt Corollary: "Speak softly and carry a big stick"³

Backstory

At the time, Russia was expanding activities in the Northwest Territories, Spain was eyeing newly independent countries in South America, and France had not given up its colonial aspirations. England suggested to the United States that the two countries join together in opposition to Spain's involvement in South America. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison urged Monroe to accept England's proposal, but John Quincy Adams didn't trust the British.¹ Monroe elected to assert that the United States, acting alone, would challenge any foreign intervention in the affairs of the Americas, creating what would eventually become known as the Monroe Doctrine.²

Key Points

European countries cannot found any new colonies in the Americas
U.S. would only intervene in European affairs if her own interests were at risk
Any European intervention in the Americas would be considered a threat to U.S. national security

Roosevelt Corollary

In 1904, the Dominican Republic went bankrupt. Theodore Roosevelt was concerned that its European creditors might intervene to collect their debts.³ In a message to Congress, Roosevelt stated that the United States might intervene to stabilize a situation by exercising "international police power" in "flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence" which might lead to "a general loosening of the ties of civilized society."⁴ This statement had the effect of raising bond prices for Latin American nations, as it gave lenders assurance that their investments would be secure.⁵

Categories

History | U.S. History

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The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Monroe Doctrine
Our Documents: Monroe Doctrine Document Info | Monroe Doctrine Transcript (1823)
International World History Project: The Monroe Doctrine
U.S. Department of State: Monroe Doctrine, 1823
Mount Holyoke College: Thomas Jefferson On The Monroe Doctrine
Library of Congress: Letter, James Monroe to Thomas Jefferson (October 17, 1823)
The Theodore Roosevelt Association: The Roosevelt Corollary (December 5, 1905)

Monroe Doctrine Background and Causes

Political ReviewNet: Book Review: The Literary Construction of the Monroe Doctrine (2005)

Latin American Independence

Organization Of American Historians: U.S.-Latin American Relations (1992)
Trinity College: Latin America

Russian Territorial Claims

The Architect Of The Capital: The Monroe Doctrine, 1823
Fort Ross Interpretive:Fort Ross Cultural History
Sonoma County: History of the Russian Settlement at Fort Ross, California

Aftermath and Legacy

CEPR : After the Monroe Doctrine, The Future of U.S.Latin America Relations (January 24, 2007) (224 KB)
Historical Text Archives: Inter-American Relations, Notes on; 1895-1959
Anti-War.com: J. Reuben Clark (1871-1961) and Non-Intervention (April 3, 2000)
Questia: Memorandum on the Monroe Doctrine
NC State University: The Monroe Doctrine And Its Aftermath
Foreign Affairs: Last Years Of The Monroe Doctrine Reviewed (November/December 1994)

Monroe Doctrine Central Figures

James Monroe

Mahalo's Guide to James Monroe
Wikipedia: James Monroe
The White House: James Monroe
Archiving Early America: Obituary of James Monroe

John Quincy Adams

Mahalo's Guide to John Quincy Adams
Wikipedia: John Quincy Adams
U.S. Congress Biography: John Quincy Adams
American Presidents: John Quincy Adams

Thomas Jefferson

Mahalo's Guide to Thomas Jefferson
Wikipedia: Thomas Jefferson
Bartleby: Second Inaugural Address

Theodore Roosevelt

Mahalo's Guide to Theodore Roosevelt
Wikipedia: Rough Riders | Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Centennial WebSite: Speech At The Minnesota State Fair (Sept. 2, 1901)

J. Rueben Clark

Wikipedia: J. Reuben Clark
Clark Law School Society: J. Reuben Clark | Biography
The University of Utah: Joshua Rueben Clark Jr.

Monroe Doctrine Images and Media

Google Video: Monroe Doctrine Videos
Google Images: Monroe Doctrine Photos
Yahoo! Images: Monroe Doctrine Photos

Monroe Doctrine Books and Research

Google Scholar: Monroe Doctrine Books and Articles
Google Books: The Monroe Doctrine, An Obsolete Shibboleth
Amazon.com: Monroe Doctrine Books
Google Books: The Monroe Doctrine: An Interpretation
Google Books: The Monroe Doctrine
Questia: The Monroe Doctrine, Its Importance in the... States of the New World

Monroe Doctrine Blogs and Message Boards

American People II: Monroe Doctrine (March 26, 2008)
The Good Citizen: Did We Forget The Monroe Doctrine? (March 6, 2008)
McClatchey: Bush Legacy: Farewell to the Monroe Doctrine? (March 1, 2008)
BNet: The Spirit Behind The Monroe Doctrine... (July, 1987)

Monroe Doctrine Criticism and Controversy

Marxist Thought Online: The Monroe Doctrine, US Imperialism and Venezuela (Nov. 13, 2005)
History Matters: “To Abolish the Monroe Doctrine”: Proclamation from Augusto César Sandino
The New York Times: Monroe Doctrine Definition Asked (224 KB)

Monroe Doctrine Timeline

1803: Louisiana Purchase minimizes the French influence in the Western Hemisphere
1805: Lewis and Clark explore newly acquired Louisiana Territory and the Northwest Territory
1818: John Quincy Adams introduces a blueprint for the Monroe Doctrine in March
1818: U.S acquires Florida from Spain
1823: Monroe makes speech to Congress that will become known as the Monroe Doctrine
1836: United States objects to Britain's alliance with Texas
1945: President James Polk uses the Monroe Doctrine in his discussion of Manifest Destiny
1863: United States protests France's invasion of Mexico, also known as the Maximilian Affair
1867: Napoleon III withdraws his troops from Mexico
1895: Grover Cleveland asserts the Monroe Doctrine to keep British out of Venezuela
1904: Theodore Roosevelt stated that the US has the right to intervene in Latin America
1954: John Foster Dulles criticizes the Soviet Communism's involvement in Guatemala
1962: John F. Kennedy cuts off trade with Cuba, citing the Monroe Doctrine

Related Pages on Mahalo

James Monroe | Spanish-American War | John Quincy Adams | Thomas Jefferson | United Kingdom | Russia | France | Argentina | Chile | Colombia | Mexico | Dominican Republic | Theodore Roosevelt | Manifest Destiny

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