
What was the primary reason for the Monroe Doctrine?
Monroe Doctrine
- The Reason For the Monroe Doctrine. During the War of 1812, the United States had reaffirmed its independence. ...
- John Quincy Adams and the Doctrine. ...
- Reaction to Monroe's Message to Congress. ...
- The Legacy of the Monroe Doctrine. ...
What was the Monroe Doctrine and why was it proclaimed?
The Monroe Doctrine was drafted because the U.S. government was worried that European powers would encroach on the U.S. sphere of influence by carving out colonial territories in the Americas.
Why did they make the Monroe Doctrine?
Why Was The Monroe Doctrine Issued. The Monroe Doctrine is a policy that was introduced by the President James Monroe in 1823 in his seventh State of the Union Address to the Congress. The policy warned that any further European attempts to colonize land or interfere with any independent nations in North and South America would be treated as an act of aggression with the backing of Great Britain.
What were the four main points of the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine consists of four main points:
- The United States would remain neutral in European affairs and not get involved in European conflicts.
- The United States would not interfere with current European colonies in the Western Hemisphere.
- No European nation would be allowed to establish a new colony in the Western Hemisphere.

What inspired the Monroe Doctrine?
What motives were behind the Monroe Doctrine? The Monroe Doctrine was drafted because the U.S. government was worried that European powers would encroach on the U.S. sphere of influence by carving out colonial territories in the Americas.
Who helped influence the Monroe Doctrine?
In the late 1800s, U.S. economic and military power enabled it to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. The doctrine's greatest extension came with Theodore Roosevelt's Corollary, which inverted the original meaning of the doctrine and came to justify unilateral U.S. intervention in Latin America.
What historical event led to the Monroe Doctrine?
Monroe's statement, which was expressed in his annual address to Congress (the 19th century equivalent of the State of the Union Address) was prompted by a fear that Spain would try to take over its former colonies in South America, which had declared their independence.
What global changes prompted the Monroe Doctrine?
The most important global change that prompted the Monroe Doctrine was the collapse of Spain and Portugal's empires in the Americas.
How did Great Britain respond to the Monroe Doctrine?
Great Britain at the time expressed that they felt the Monroe Doctrine was, “honest and endurable, as Monroe conceived it” and that the American fear of European monarchs surrounding the Western Hemisphere by colonies “meant to act aggressively against republican institutions” was logical.
How did John Quincy Adams influence US foreign policy?
Adams' brilliant diplomacy with Spain, which led to the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, was largely responsible for the Acquisition of Florida and the U.S. assumption of Spain's claim to the Oregon Country. Adams worked to delay U.S. support of the new Latin American republics until the treaty was ratified.
How did Roosevelt Corollary modify the Monroe Doctrine?
The Roosevelt Corollary modified the Monroe Doctrine by stating The United States will act as an international police power in the Western Hemisphere and intervene to prevent intervention by other powers.
Who opposed the Monroe Doctrine?
State John Quincy AdamsSecretary of State John Quincy Adams opposed a joint declaration. He convinced President Monroe to make a unilateral declaration of American policy—known as the Monroe Doctrine. Monroe announced that the Western Hemisphere was henceforth closed to further European colonization or puppet monarchs.
How did John Quincy Adams influence US foreign policy?
Adams' brilliant diplomacy with Spain, which led to the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, was largely responsible for the Acquisition of Florida and the U.S. assumption of Spain's claim to the Oregon Country. Adams worked to delay U.S. support of the new Latin American republics until the treaty was ratified.
How did Roosevelt Corollary modify the Monroe Doctrine?
The Roosevelt Corollary modified the Monroe Doctrine by stating The United States will act as an international police power in the Western Hemisphere and intervene to prevent intervention by other powers.
Who was involved in the Roosevelt Corollary?
President Theodore Roosevelt's assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean has often been characterized as the “Big Stick,” and his policy came to be known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
Which two characteristics made the Monroe Doctrine?
1) The United States would not get involved in European affairs. 2) The United States would not interfere with existing European colonies in the Western Hemisphere.
Why was the Monroe Doctrine important?
Although initially disregarded by the great powers of Europe, the Monroe Doctrine became a mainstay of U.S. foreign policy. In 1823 U.S. President...
What were the basic tenets of the Monroe Doctrine?
As articulated in 1823, the Monroe Doctrine laid out four basic tenets that would define U.S. foreign policy for decades. The first two promised th...
What motives were behind the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine was drafted because the U.S. government was worried that European powers would encroach on the U.S. sphere of influence by carv...
Who worked on the Monroe Doctrine?
George Canning, British foreign minister to the U.S., had the idea to issue a declaration forbidding future colonization in the Americas. Canning s...
How did the Monroe Doctrine change over time?
Although it forbade European powers from colonizing more American territories, the Monroe Doctrine was drafted while the U.S. did not have the mili...
What was the Monroe doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine was a United States policy that opposed European colonialism in the Americas. It argued that any intervention in the politics of the Americas by foreign powers was a potentially hostile act against the United States.
When was the Monroe doctrine first adopted?
The Monroe Doctrine was issued on December 2, 1823, at a time when nearly all Latin American colonies of Spain had achieved, or were at the point of gaining, independence from the Spanish Empire.
What was the purpose of the Olney Corollary?
authority to mediate border disputes in the Western Hemisphere. Olney extended the meaning of the Monroe Doctrine, which had previously stated merely that the Western Hemisphere was closed to additional European colonization. The statement reinforced the original purpose of the Monroe Doctrine, that the U.S. had the right to intervene in its own hemisphere and foreshadowed the events of the Spanish–American War three years later. The Olney interpretation was defunct by 1933.
Why did the Monroe doctrine help Canada?
Because of the peaceful relations between the two countries, Canada could assist Britain in a European war without having to defend itself at home.
Why was the Roosevelt Corollary invoked?
The Roosevelt Corollary was invoked to intervene militarily in Latin America to stop the spread of European influence. It was the most significant amendment to the original doctrine and was widely opposed by critics, who argued that the Monroe Doctrine was originally meant to stop European influence in the Americas.
What did Crow argue about Latin America?
They knew that the president of the United States wielded very little power at the time, particularly without the backing of the British forces, and figured that the Monroe Doctrine was unenforceable if the United States stood alone against the Holy Alliance .
Why was the doctrine of sedition disregarded?
Because the U.S. lacked both a credible navy and army at the time, the doctrine was largely disregarded internationally. Prince Metternich of Austria was angered by the statement, and wrote privately that the doctrine was a "new act of revolt" by the U.S. that would grant "new strength to the apostles of sedition and reanimate the courage of every conspirator."
Which doctrine was added to the Monroe doctrine?
Theodore Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904, which stated that, in cases of flagrant and chronic wrongdoing by a Latin American country, the United States could intervene in that country’s internal affairs.
What was the Monroe doctrine?
Although initially disregarded by the great powers of Europe, the Monroe Doctrine became a mainstay of U.S. foreign policy. In 1823 U.S. President James Monroe proclaimed the U.S. protector of the Western Hemisphere by forbidding European powers from colonizing additional territories in the Americas. In return, Monroe committed to not interfere in ...
What were the four tenets of the Monroe doctrine?
foreign policy for decades. The first two promised that the U.S. would not interfere in the affairs of European states, be they wars or internal politics, and that the U.S. would not interfere with European states’ extant colonial enterprises.
Which doctrine asserted the U.S. role as policeman of the Western Hemisphere and its right
The 1904 Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine asserted the U.S. role as policeman of the Western Hemisphere and its right to involve itself in the affairs of Latin American countries.
Why was Monroe's policy statement ignored?
Because the United States was not a major power at the time and because the continental powers apparently had no serious intentions of recolonizing Latin America, Monroe’s policy statement (it was not known as the “Monroe Doctrine” for nearly 30 years) was largely ignored outside the United States.
Who was against the bilateral declaration?
U.S. President James Monroe and former presidents James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were receptive to the idea. U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams was vehemently against it, fearing that a bilateral declaration would limit the U.S.’s own expansionist designs.
Why did the United States mass troops on the Rio Grande?
At the conclusion of the American Civil War, the United States massed troops on the Rio Grande in support of a demand that France withdraw its puppet kingdom from Mexico. In 1867—partly because of U.S. pressure—France withdrew. After 1870 interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine became increasingly broad.
Guiding Questions
In what ways did John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson contribute to the formulation of the Monroe Doctrine?
Learning Objectives
List contributions of James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Thomas Jefferson to U.S. diplomacy.
Causes of the Monroe Doctrine
This political pronouncement was fundamentally due to the interest of the United States in protecting itself from the European presence in its vicinity, since its independent republic had finally been conquered militarily in 1783 and was militarily too weak to resist new colonial campaigns.
Consequences of the Monroe Doctrine
The French intervention in Mexico was a consequence of the Monroe Doctrine.
Fundamental points of the Monroe Doctrine
The application of the Monroe doctrine contemplated three central points, which were, literally:
Rutherford Hayes Corollary
In 1880, a first corollary was added to the Monroe Doctrine, which considered the Caribbean and Central America as part of the “exclusive sphere of influence” of the United States.
The Diaz Doctrine
The Díaz doctrine stated that all peoples should be free to govern themselves.
Criticism of the Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine has been widely criticized as a document that simply gives the US the power to make the American continent its political administration , something that was demonstrated by the lack of US intervention in the European invasions that followed its proclamation.
Contradictions to the Monroe Doctrine
So convenient were the statements of this doctrine that the US itself contravened it on several occasions , as occurred during the support of the British government during the Falklands War disputed against Argentina in 1982, to cite an example.
Who Wrote the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine was primarily written by Monroe’s Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams. Quincy Adams would go on to succeed Monroe as President in the important election of 1824.
What did the Monroe Doctrine Say?
Buried within Monroe’s seventh annual message to Congress in 1823, the Monroe Doctrine delivered three main points.
The Significance of the Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine would prove to be extremely significant in regards to the foreign policy of the United States. Some Presidents utilized the doctrine more often than others, leading to an inconsistent approach in the decades after implementation.
Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
In 1895 the first major change, or corollary, to the Monroe Doctrine was declared. Today it is referred to as the “Olney Corollary.”

Overview
Seeds of the Monroe Doctrine
Despite the United States' beginnings as an isolationist country, the foundation of the Monroe Doctrine was already being laid even during George Washington's presidency. According to S.E. Morison, "as early as 1783, then, the United States adopted the policy of isolation and announced its intention to keep out of Europe. The supplementary principle of the Monroe Doctrine, that Europe mus…
Doctrine
The full document of the Monroe Doctrine, written chiefly by future-President and then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, is long and couched in diplomatic language, but its essence is expressed in two key passages. The first is the introductory statement, which asserts that the New World is no longer subject to colonization by the European countries:
The occasion has been judged proper for asserting, as a principle in which the rights and interes…
Effects
Because the U.S. lacked both a credible navy and army at the time, the doctrine was largely disregarded internationally. Prince Metternich of Austria was angered by the statement, and wrote privately that the doctrine was a "new act of revolt" by the U.S. that would grant "new strength to the apostles of sedition and reanimate the courage of every conspirator."
Criticism
Historians have observed that while the Doctrine contained a commitment to resist further European colonialism in the Americas, it resulted in some aggressive implications for American foreign policy, since there were no limitations on the US's own actions mentioned within it. Historian Jay Sexton notes that the tactics used to implement the doctrine were modeled after those employed by European imperial powers during the 17th and 18th centuries. American hist…
See also
• Banana Wars
• Foreign policy of the United States
• Gunboat diplomacy
• Latin America–United States relations
Further reading
• "Present Status of the Monroe Doctrine". Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 54: 1–129. 1914. ISSN 0002-7162. JSTOR i242639. 14 articles by experts
• Bemis, Samuel Flagg. John Quincy Adams and the Foundations of American Foreign Policy (1949) online
• Bingham, Hiram. The Monroe Doctrine: An Obsolete Shibboleth (Yale University Press, 1913); a strong attack; online
External links
• Monroe Doctrine and related resources at the Library of Congress
• Selected text from Monroe's December 2, 1823 speech
• Adios, Monroe Doctrine: When the Yanquis Go Home by Jorge G. Castañeda, The New Republic, December 28, 2009