The Monroe Doctrine Essay, Research Paper

One of James Monroe s most valuable plus to this state during his presidential term would be the ego titled Monroe Doctrine. This reference set forth an American written policy on European intercession in the Western Hemisphere, and would shortly go one of the foundations of United States policy in Latin America. President James Monroe made this declaration in his 7th one-year reference to the Congress of the United States on December 2, 1823. Initially it remained merely a declaration of policy, because it was non supported by congressional statute law or made solid in international jurisprudence, but finally it became the anchor rule in the United States foreign policy, to be used by future presidents in other foreign runs. The Monroe philosophy was developed because the United States and Britain were worried over the possibility of European colonial enlargement in Latin America, and South America. Britain s concern was caused by the fright that Spain would try to repossess its former settlements, which had late gained independency. This worried them because it would do their trade with these new states to drastically worsen. The United State s chief concern was to guarantee that no European states would try farther colonisation in the Western Hemisphere. At that clip George Canning, the British foreign curate, suggested a joint venture with the United States in which both states involvements would be preserved. However John Quincy Adams, the secretary of province, was worried about the United States looking like a cockboat in the aftermath of a British man-o-war. So he convinced President Monroe to develop the United States ain policy, which would protect U.S. involvements that were independent of Britain. The Monroe Doctrine affirmed the two chief policies of non-colonization and non-intervention. These noteworthy declarations asserted that European states could no longer colonise the American continents, and that they should non interfere with the freshly independent Spanish American democracies. Monroe specifically warned European powers against trying to enforce monarchy on independent American states but added that the United States would non interfere in bing European settlements or in Europe itself. These two thoughts are non new, nor are they original. Previous presidents, particularly Jefferson, had mistily hinted at them. The philosophy besides stayed faithful to President Washington s farewell reference of 1796, in which he urged the United States to roll from miring confederations. This, nevertheless, was non representative of an isolationist policy. By dividing Europe from American states, Monroe was seeking to continue the being of distinguishable Western Hemisphere, and specifically United States involvements. Monroe s thoughts were large frontward looking. He opposed the European political system of monarchy believing that no American state should follow it, and felt that its presence anyplace in the Western Hemisphere endangered the peace and safety of the still immature United States. He besides believed that the United States, entirely, should finish the colonisation of North America. However, despite his strong averments Monroe did non propose any agencies to guarantee completion of them. And the United States couldn t assure this policy entirely, but Monroe knew this, and rallied for Britain s

support. He was successful because Britain besides opposed European intercession in Spain s effort to reconstruct its settlements.

Equally far as the United States was concerned, the Monroe Doctrine was ne’er forced into action. It wasn t until the 1840s, when President John Polk and President James Polk used it to warrant U.S. enlargement. In 1845 Polk called upon the philosophy against British menaces in California and Oregon, as Tyler had done in 1842 against Gallic and British attempts to forestall the United States appropriation of Texas. During an incident in 1848 Polk threatened to take control of the Yucatan part if the Europeans didn T withdrawal their engagement. Despite the usage and turning popularity for the philosophy, its effectivity was badly reduced during the Civil War. This was because the United States didn Ts have the stable authorities, or manpower to implement it. As a consequence, Spain s recovery of land and the Gallic engagement in some Mexican personal businesss went uncontested.During the 1870s and 1880s because the Monroe Doctrine was so successful and internationally accepted, it began to take on a new significance. The United States was now construing it as both, forbiding the transportation of an American state from one European power to another, and allowing the United States exclusive ownership over any canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Central America. Throughout the resulting old ages the United States continued to spread out the significance of the philosophy successfully. In 1904 President Roosevelt claimed, in the Roosevelt Corollary, that the United States could step in in any Latin American state guilty of in internal or external misconduct. What Roosevelt says in 1904 and 1905 is to state, the United States should acquire into Latin American personal businesss. He basically turns the Monroe Doctrine on its caput and says the Europeans should remain out, but the United States has the right, under the philosophy, to travel in, in order to exert constabulary power to maintain the Europeans out ( LaFeber ) . The philosophy would travel on to be used many times in the following century. In 1948 the formation of the Organization of American States was created to accomplish the purposes of the Monroe Doctrine through Pan-Americanism. However, frights of communism forced the United States to return to forceful actions against Guatemala ( 1954 ) , Cuba ( 1961 ) , and the Dominican Republic ( 1965 ) , without speaking to its Latin American Allies foremost. During President Ronald Reagan s disposal ( 1981-1989 ) he openly accepted the Monroe Doctrine to forestall Communism in Latin America. This was the original purpose of the philosophy to forestall European enlargement in the Americas. Despite this fact, Reagan supported Britain s claim for the Falkland Islands in 1982. As a anchor in U.S. foreign policy, the Monroe Doctrine has had considerable consequence and strong support in the United States, partially because it promoted U.S. involvements. The philosophy hasn T served merely the United States, but other Central and South American states, peculiarly because it asserts their right to independence. Because the philosophy hadn T originally made a differentiation between the involvements of the United States and those of its neighbours, the U.S. has used it to warrant intercession into the personal businesss of other states. This papers has proved to be the greatest constituent of United States foreign policy.