Essays on Monroe Doctrine

December 2, 1823

John Quincy Adams, James Monroe

The Monroe Doctrine was a United States foreign policy enunciated by Pres. James Monroe that opposed European colonialism in the Americas. It warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere and that any efforts to would be viewed as "the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States."

The Monroe Doctrine is the best known U.S. policy toward the Western Hemisphere that became a cornerstone of U.S. diplomacy for generations.