Name: ____________________________________
Unit 7: Nationalism and Sectionalism
Period: _______
Miss Raab
The Monroe Doctrine
The Declaration of the Monroe Doctrine
In the early 1800s, many of Spain’s American colonies had fought for and won their independence. For countries like our neighbor Mexico,
these were difficult years. Then in 1823, other European powers – Austria, Russia, Prussia, and France – were threatening to help Spain reconquer its American colonies. In response, United States President James Monroe announced a new policy in his seventh annual message to
Congress on December 2, 1823.
“… as a principle in which the rights and interests of the United States are involved, that the American
continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are
henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers…
In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor
does it [agree] with our policy to do so. It is only when our rights are invaded or seriously menaced that
we resent injuries or make preparation for our defense. The political system of the allied powers is
essentially different in this respect from that of America. We... therefore… declare that we should
consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as
dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power
we have not interfered or shall not interfere…
Our policy in regards to Europe… remains the same, which is, not to interfere in the internal concerns of
any of its powers…
It is impossible that the allied powers should extend their political system to any portion of either
continent without endangering our peace and happiness; nor can anyone believe that our southern
brethren, if left to themselves, would adopt it of their own [will]. It is equally impossible, therefore, that
we should behold such [interference] in any form with indifference…”
1. Why was the Monroe Doctrine issued?
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2. What does the Monroe Doctrine state?
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3. In what way was the Doctrine a warning to European powers?
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The Future of the Monroe Doctrine
In 1895, Grover Cleveland attempted to invoke the Monroe Doctrine to compel the British to accept arbitration in a border dispute
between Venezuela and British Guiana, and went to far as to threaten to create a commission for this purpose if the British did not agree.
Eventually the arbitration took place by mutual consent, but the British, through their foreign secretary Lord Salisbury, made it clear that
they rejected the idea that the Monroe Doctrine was a legitimate part of international law.
Theodore Roosevelt was never shy about asserting American interests, so it's not surprising that he devised what became known as
the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. In it, Roosevelt acknowledged that at times, chaos in a small country could necessarily
lead to the intervention of a great power, and that in the Western Hemisphere, that great power would always be the United States.
While the Monroe Doctrine had warned European powers to keep their hands off countries in the Americas, President Roosevelt was now
saying that "since the United States would not permit the [European] powers to lay their hands on, he had an obligation to do so himself.
In short, he would intervene to keep them from intervening."
The first application of the Roosevelt Corollary was in the
Dominican Republic, where the United States compelled that
country to give the United States control over its customs, in
order to stabilize its finances. This mild application was
succeeded by military intervention in Nicaragua and Haiti, as
well as the Dominican Republic.
Over the years, the Monroe Doctrine became an object, not
of deep appreciation, but of great dislike in Latin America. The
countries of Latin America found that they had much more
reason to fear intervention by the United States than by any
European power. This was particularly evident in the Pan
American Conference of 1928. In that year, the United States
issued the Clark Memorandum, which definitely repudiated the
Roosevelt Corollary. In 1933, Secretary of State Cordell Hull
signed a protocol that bound the United States not to intervene
in the affairs of any other country in the hemisphere.
Thus a doctrine put in place when the United States was the only
power of any international significance has gradually evolved
into a policy that respects the emerging sensibilities of
the hemisphere's other nations.
4. How has the Monroe Doctrine affected other areas of U.S. History?
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5. How does the Monroe Doctrine continue to affect us today? Please provide one example.
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