The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Nikki Ward
November 7th, 2014
One of the most aggressive periods, if not the most aggressive period, in United States foreign policy took place between the Civil War and World War I. The foreign policy during this time was what came to be known as American imperialism. American imperialism is the economic, military, and cultural influence of the United States on other countries and goes alongside expansion into foreign territories. The Monroe Doctrine was first mentioned during President James Monroe’s seventh annual State of the Union Address to Congress. The primary objectives of the Monroe Doctrine were to establish that any sort of attempt to re-colonize North America by
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American expansionism would not only improve the country’s international reputation but would declare the United States sovereignty. The United States at this time was nothing but a mere blip on the radar of the World Powers and lacked the military competence to pose a threat. The Monroe Doctrine was a revealing of the United States strategy for preventing European intervention in the Western Hemisphere in three …show more content…
The proclamation of 1823 declaring that European expansion would no longer have a presence in the Western Hemisphere was essentially words on a page as far as they were considered, that was until Theodore Roosevelt became president and challenged the old world order. This new policy was given the opportunity to be enforced in 1905 when the Dominican Republic was under the threat of invasion due to massive debts owed to Europe. Roosevelt exemplified his Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine by carrying his big stick into the island’s nation, his big stick being the new American Navy, where he seized its customs houses and ruled the Dominican Republic until the situation was stabilized. Although Latin America had less than favorable views towards the corollary and resented the United States involvement, the Roosevelt Corollary established the beginning of an undisputed sphere of influence that dominated the
The Doctrine was successful in keeping the Spanish from reviving its empire, mostly because of the strength of England’s Navy not because of the American military which was still very limited. The Monroe Doctrine was a significant moment in United States rise to power in the international community. It became the fundemental American foreign policy and has been built upon by many American leaders. Teddy Roosevelt enhanced it with his Roosevelt Corollary saying that any wrongdoing with in the Western Hemisphere could cause American intervention. It was also cited by President Kennedy during the Cold War.
The Monroe Doctrine was an expression of nationalism as it declared the United States’s intention to stay out of European affairs and it forced Europe to not interfere in the Americas. Firstly, the United States declared it would stay out of European affairs, wars, and conflicts, signaling an inward focus. However, the United States also threatened Europe when it declared it would go to war in case any European nation attempted further colonization or interference in the Western hemisphere. Metaphorically speaking, the US built a wall between the Americas and Europe, impeding any military or political interference. Even though the US did not have the power to enforce this at the time, it was carving its path to dominate nations in Latin America
The Monroe Doctrine was a threat to European nations for multiple reasons. To begin with, the Monroe Doctrine was a document that was written by John Quincy Adams. The states that were affected by the Monroe Doctrine are the European countries and the independent, smaller countries such as Mexico. The main thesis of the Monroe Doctrine is that America has forbidden Europe from invading other individual countries. The doctrine is a threat because it states that foreign countries are forbidden to enter and colonize land in the western hemisphere.
Although there have been many factors that have contributed to making the United States what it exists as in the modern day, the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny are two crucial documents and movements that played a role in the development of the United States. During the mid-nineteenth century, the Monroe Doctrine unified the United States, creating an environment of hostility towards other non-Western Hemispheres, specifically European forces. This document asserted the United States power as well as established its control over the Americas and the general Western Hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine served to provide a legal and social rationalization for the ideology behind Manifest Destiny, ultimately leading to Westward expansion.
At first the Latin American nations saw this as favorable, because they saw that the U.S. could not do anything alone if moving along without the backing of Britain. The military and political power allowed the Monroe Doctrine to be brought about. This doctrine had combined with much of the ideas of Manifest Destiny. Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary was a great extension of this doctrine, it upturned the original meaning and justified independent intervention of the U.S. in Latin America.
The United States wanted to establish its own nation, remaining a colony of themselves. The fifth President of United States, James Monroe, delivered a speech on opposing further colonization of the North and South America. His words allowed United States officially adopt isolationism with minor variation of outer influence. Monroe was successful in presenting his purpose through defensive tone, argumentative diction, imagery, and his use of logos to support his arguments.
The United States was not interested in having people with different cultures, languages, and religions where an older generation of moralists thought it violate a core principle of republicanism, while a younger generation believed that the United States had a role to uplift backward societies. When the foreign policy changed after 1890, the US became an imperialist nation. After the United States bought Alaska from Russia the US quickly decided to look into overseas. Their plan was to take over other foreign lands and slowly gain an empire, and soon become a world power. The two major causes for US expansion after 1890 were for economic benefits and military control overseas.
Along with his influential Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine, it kept the imperial European powers against interfering in the affairs of the newly independent Latin American states or potential U.S. territories in the Western hemisphere. It remained the intellectual underpinnings of the doctrine, Monroe granted diplomatic recognition to
It was Western Europe that was fundamentally important for US national security. The United Kingdom and a number of other European countries have taken active foreign policy steps to intensify US European policy. Europe needed economic assistance and military support. However, such a policy of Europe found understanding within the United States, which resulted in the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan, according to many researchers, is a practical embodiment of the Truman Doctrine.
Nostra heard about the Monroe Doctrine and had some idea to change it up. Ithad no more of it to be used solely for economic dominance and imperialism by the United States, but in conjunction with its twenty neighbors, to defend the collective security of the Western Hemisphere. But changing the Monroe Doctrine only changed some of its power. Still, the Monroe Doctrine could still have advance American economic and political interests in the Western
The Monroe Doctrine was a speech given in 1823 by James Monroe, the 5th president of the United States, to the U.S. Congress concerning European presence in the Western Hemisphere. Monroe was becoming continuously concerned about European influence in the region. While the primary audience for this message was Congress, the intended audience was all European powers, including Russia, and Latin America. The events in Latin America before and after the Spanish-American War will be used as an example of the imperial reach by the U.S. The United States, ironically, became an imperial power through its mission outlined in the Monroe Doctrine to end European colonialism and imperialism.
Before the 20th century the United States was an isolationist nation but around the late 19th century America decided to convert into an imperialist power. They had numerous reasons to shift into being an imperialist nation. America didn’t want to begin imperializing to settle and live in the nations they were taking over, they already had America for that reason, they wanted to adopt these nations for what they had to offer, which was many things. America saw an opportunity to improving their nation and took it. Even if there were many causes for America to imperialize, three of them stood out the most.
At the start of the 19th century, America was already expanding its territory. In 1803, the United States of America had bought the Louisiana Territory, it was bought from France which had made the country two times larger. In 1819 Spain had given up their territory of Florida to the United States. President Monroe issued the “Monroe Doctrine” in 1823, its main purpose was to warn the European countries to not enter the Western Hemisphere. In order for America to achieve its goal of becoming an imperialist nation they had conquered other countries economically, culturally, and with a strong military in the late 1800’s.
Last month, we learned the Missouri Compromise, the Monroe Doctrine and American System. These three events were important for me to review against, I deem. The Missouri Compromise was worked out in 1820. The Congress had a serious problem about balance. Missouri became one thing that could break this balance.
This policy had a lot of influences and affects. The Monroe Doctrine had a lot of positive effects on the United States and Britain. It basically helped shape America as it is today. The Monroe doctrine states "In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our policy to do so.