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.

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.GlobalSecurity.org: Monroe Doctrine 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.Encyclopedia of American Studies: Monroe Doctrine

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

In 1904, the Dominican Republic went bankrupt. Theodore Roosevelt was concerned that its European creditors might intervene to collect their debts.Mr. Windle's Blog: Big Stick Diplomacy (February 20, 2008) 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."Latin American Studies: The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine This statement had the effect of raising bond prices for Latin American nations, as it gave lenders assurance that their investments would be secure.NBER: Empire, Public Goods, and the Roosevelt Corollary

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

• 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

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