Presidential
Policies
Monroe Doctrine
Caroline Sceurman, Erica Elliott, and
Colleen O’Donnell
Political Cartoon #1
Explanation of Image
This political cartoon shows how America was
trying to strictly enforce the Monroe Doctrine
of 1823 during the Imperialistic Era. Uncle Sam
represents America’s values of liberty. The
wall in the cartoon represents the “wall”
between Europe and Latin America.
Time Frame and President
1865-1914
• Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
• Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
• Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
• Chester Arthur (1881-1885)
• Grover Cleveland (1885-1889) (1893-1897)
• Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
• William McKinley (1897-1901)
• Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
• William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
• Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
Causes of Interaction
European countries were trying to colonize and
expand their countries into parts of North and South
America, violating the United State’s Monroe Doctrine.
1. Venezuela and British colony of Guiana
2. Panama and Columbia
3. Spain and Cuba
Effects of Interaction
The violations of the Monroe Doctrine forced the United
States to get involved.
1. President Grover Cleveland forced Great Britain to
settle the boundary dispute between Venezuela and
the British Colony of Guiana by threatening military
action.
2. President Theodore Roosevelt supported a revolt in
Panama against Columbia with US military aid.
Columbia lost control of Panama and the US were able
to build the canal.
3. President William McKinley started the SpanishAmerican War to get Cuban independence from
Spain. Spain lost the war and their control of Cuba.
The US gained the Philippines.
Value
The political cartoon helps us to understand
how adamant the United States was about
keeping European nations out of North and
South America. The cartoon shows that
society believed that the United States was a
world power and that the Monroe Doctrine
was going to be strictly enforced.
Limitations
If we only had this source, one may be led to
believe that the United States was
overstepping the boundaries of the Monroe
Doctrine and therefore separating themselves
from the rest of the world.
The United States territorial expansion was a proper
and legitimate policy to follow the turn of the
nineteenth century only to a small extent because the
Monroe Doctrine prohibited the expansion of
European countries yet America continued to expand
by gaining lands of the countries that they had
helped. For example, The Philippines from Cuba, the
Panama Canal territory from Columbia, etc.
Political Cartoon #2
Explanation of Image
This political cartoon portrays the positive effect the
United States’ position in the Spanish-American War
had on the Spanish colonies of the time. The top
picture represents the burdens each country faced
before US influence. The bottom picture represents
how the US “rescued” each country from their
burdens.
Time Frame and President
1898-1901
William McKinley (1897-1901)
Causes of Interaction
The United States supported the freeing of the
oppressed people controlled by the Spanish
1. Philippines
2. Hawaii
3. Puerto Rico
4. Cuba
5. Isthmus of Panama/Panama Canal Zone
Effects of Interaction
The Treaty of Paris (1898) ended the Spanish-American
War and changed the status of these Spanish
colonies.
1. The Philippines was annexed by the United States, who would
“educate and Christianize” the Filipinos until they were ready
for self-government.
2. United States’ annexed Hawaii as a “naval base”
3. United States’ acquisition of Puerto Rico ended Spanish
presence in the western hemisphere.
4. Cuba independent from Spain, with the intention that US
occupation forces would leave Cuba to become a free
nation
5. Panama Canal construction
Value
The political cartoon helps to understand the
role of the United States in helping each
Spanish colony gain independence following
the Spanish-American War, and how
successful that role was.
Limitations
This political cartoon is titled “What The United
States Has Fought For.” This title, along with the
pictures, could lead one to believe that the
main reason the US fought the SpanishAmerican War was to gain the independence
of the Spanish colonies. The real reason was to
gain overseas colonies which would provide
raw materials for home industries, military
bases to expand and protect US overseas
trade, and so forth.
The United States territorial expansion was a proper
and legitimate policy for the United States to follow at
the turn of the nineteenth century to a fairly large
extent because the United States’ motivation for
fighting the Spanish-American War benefited not only
the United States, but the Spanish colonies as well.