The Monroe Doctrine refers to the U.S.

political stance regarding geopolitical

relations between the United States and Europe that was set forth by President
James Monroe in 1823. The doctrine and its offshoots had profound effects on policy
in the Americas for the decades that followed.
Origin

1. The Monroe Doctrine, as it is called today, was originally established in a

speech by President Monroe before Congress on Dec. 2, 1823. The ideas
presented in the speech were the product of discussions between Monroe and
his secretary of state, future president John Quincy Adams.

Content

2. The doctrine contains three principles: the establishment of separate spheres

of influence for the United States and Europe, a call for an end to European
colonization in the "New World" and a demand for nonintervention by Europe in
the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.

Influences

3. The doctrine set forth by the Monroe administration relied heavily on other
presidential voices, including George Washington's farewell address and the
reasoning used by the previous president, James Madison, to justify the War of
1812.

Additions

4. Two other ideological points bolstered the Monroe Doctrine in achieving its
ultimate legacy: Manifest Destiny, the idea that it was the God-ordained duty of
Americans to settle territory from the East Coast to the West Coast, and
President Theodore Roosevelt's Corollary, which expressed that only the United
States should intervene in Latin America.

Significance

5. The Monroe Doctrine (along with the development of the United States as an
economic and military power), was instrumental in establishing a continent
devoid of European imperial interests and instead dominated by U.S. interests.
Beginning with expansion of settlement to the West Coast, the doctrine and its
corollary eventually defined the United States as a major player in Latin American
policy.

The Monroe Doctrine

THE MONROE DOCTRINE, was the fruition of early American policy. There had long been a
deep-seated conviction on the part of the people of the United States that the opportunities of
a hard-won freedom would be threatened by the ambitions of European powers and that the
aims of the new nation could be achieved only by keeping clear of the toils of European
politics and strife. It was this conviction of the necessity of maintaining an independent
position, which led to the declaration of neutrality in 1793, despite the Treaty of Alliance with
France, which had sprung from the exigencies of the Revolutionary struggle. The words of
Washington's Farewell Address were more than a solemn admonition; they stated cherished
principles. "The great rule of conduct for us," he said, "in regard to foreign nations, is, in
extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible
. . .. Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation.
Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially
foreign to our concerns. Hence therefore it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by
artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and
collisions of her friendships, or enmities." The people of the United States had watched with
deep sympathy the long struggle of their southern neighbors for independence. While Spain
maintained a doubtful contest, it was regarded as a civil war, but when that contest became so
desperate that Spanish viceroys, governors, and captains-general concluded treaties with the
insurgents virtually acknowledging their independence, the United States unreservedly
recognized the facts. The republic of Colombia was recognized in 1822, the Government of
Buenos Aires and the States of Mexico and Chile early in 1823. The United States was the first
to recognize the independent empire of Brazil in May 1824, not hesitating because of the
political form of the Government, and this was followed by the recognition of the Federation of
Central American States in August of the same year. Meanwhile, the Holy Alliance formed by
the sovereigns of Austria, Russia and Prussia had sought to enforce the divine right of kings
against the progress of liberal principles. Joined by France, they undertook "to put an end to
the system of representative government" and after France had proceeded accordingly to
restore the rule of Ferdinand VII. in Spain, it was proposed to direct their efforts to the
overthrowing of the new Governments erected out of the old colonies of Spain in the western
hemisphere.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

After World War II the countries of Western Europe found themselves too weak politically
and militarily to prevent the spread of the communist "iron curtain" on a national level. The
alliance of France and the United Kingdom through the Brussels Treaty was found to be
minuscule when compared to the Communist Soviet Union. Very little time passed before
this weakness was realized and Western Europe turned to a more inclusive North Atlantic
Treaty, an agreement that involved a total of 12 nations including the United Kingdom and
the United States. NATO was officially established on April 4, 1949 with the signing of the
North Atlantic Treaty. The Western European powers relied on the massive nuclear arsenal of
the United States to deter a Soviet ground invasion. Eventually NATO technology rendered
the power of Soviet Union’s ground forces irrelevant. After the fall of communism the need
for a military alliances diminished and NATO was transformed from a military force to a
political force.