Importance Of The Monroe Doctrine

During the beginning of the 19th Century, the United States remained unsure of what it was, and what it will become. The country was beginning to become a more influential power, yet it remained unsure of its exact position in the world. The United States was in a period of transition, as the founding fathers, who were essential to the national identity, where leaving power for a new generation of rulers. It became apparent that colonization was now only part of the nation’s past, rather than the formation of its entire identity. From many aspects at the time, the United States was unique. The country differed from the Old World Order of Europe, but with no precedent to guide it, the United States often felt lost. While there were countless …show more content…
Although these facts and statistics are less important than the key components of the Monroe Doctrine, they remain important because they set the tone of the speech, which shows the United States as a successful, growing country. It is impossible to understand the Monroe Doctrine without knowing its context. The address was given to Congress during a time of changing international relations, in which the United States had to make some firm decisions to set its policy into place. Firstly, Spain began losing control of its colonies in the Americas. Many of its colonies began gaining their independence through nationalist movements and retaliation against the colonial power. This created a vacuum of power in the region. Different European powers explored the idea of coming and creating new colonies out of the former Spanish ones. This meant the United States had to respond in some form, as it could affect the country’s future and change its neighbors. The United States would desire to reduce European influence in the Americas, because it would leave the United States as the strongest power in the region. Furthermore, with weaker, newly independent states, it was likely that the United States would be able to acquire additional land from them. Although …show more content…
Canning proposed, in hopes of combating the influence of the Quadruple Alliance, that the United States and Great Britain could make a joint announcement that there would be no more colonial rule in Latin America and neither the United States nor Great Britain would take additional territories in the Americas. The opportunity to make a joint statement with Europe’s leading power excited Jefferson, Madison, Calhoun, and initially Monroe; however, Monroe decided against the alignment after talking with Adams. Adams reasoned that the United States had nothing to gain from such an announcement: Great Britain was already deterring other European powers from taking additional influence in the Americans through its navy. Moreover, the United States had much to lose from such a stance. The US would potentially sacrifice trading partners, especially Russia. Instead, it would be more beneficial for the United States to stay neutral and focus on trade. Moreover, such an agreement would not allow the US to expand beyond its current borders. Instead, the Monroe Doctrine never explicitly says whether or not the United States would one day expand, thus giving it the freedom to do so one