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The Monroe Doctrine: Defining America’s Role in the Western Hemisphere

The Monroe Doctrine is a cornerstone of American foreign policy, shaping relations between the United States and other nations in the Western Hemisphere. In this article, we get into its origins, principles, and lasting impact.

Casey Adams

2/22/20241 min read

Origins and Context

  • President James Monroe articulated the doctrine on December 2, 1823, during his seventh annual State of the Union Address to Congress.

  • At that time, most Spanish colonies in the Americas had either achieved or were close to independence.

  • Monroe asserted that the New World (the Americas) and the Old World (Europe) should remain distinctly separate spheres of influence.

  • Any further efforts by European powers to control or influence sovereign states in the region would be viewed as a threat to U.S. security.

  • In turn, the United States pledged not to interfere with existing European colonies or meddle in European countries’ internal affairs.

Key Principles

  1. Opposition to European Colonialism: The Monroe Doctrine staunchly opposed European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It declared that the Americas were off-limits for further colonization.

  2. Non-Intervention: The United States would stay neutral in wars between European powers and their colonies.

  3. Hostile Acts: Any intervention by foreign powers in the political affairs of the Americas would be considered a potentially hostile act against the United States.

Enforcement and Evolution

  • Initially, the doctrine was largely disregarded by colonial powers due to the U.S.'s limited military capabilities.

  • The United Kingdom, however, used it as an opportunity to enforce its own Pax Britannica policy.

  • Over the 19th century, the doctrine was broken several times.

  • By the turn of the 20th century, the United States itself could successfully enforce the doctrine.

  • It became a defining moment in U.S. foreign policy and one of its longest-standing tenets.

  • American statesmen and presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, invoked the doctrine.

  • After 1898, the Monroe Doctrine was reinterpreted to promote multilateralism and non-intervention.

  • In 1933, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the United States co-founded the Organization of American States to affirm this new interpretation.

Legacy and Controversy

  • The Monroe Doctrine’s intent and effect persisted for over a century.

  • Into the 21st century, it continues to be variably denounced, reinstated, or reinterpreted.

  • Its enduring legacy lies in shaping U.S. diplomatic and military policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.