Even in the 1820s, politics were pretty global. Relationships between nations and their rulers started wars, dictated trade agreements, and affected territory disputes. Colonialism had spread the web of European politics in particular across the world, and the more powerful countries were always watching out for the balance of power.
Yeah. Politics has always been messy.
The Monroe Doctrine was a potential thorn in the side of the big European political players. Monroe uses political knowledge and some very diplomatic language to be strong in his statements without ignoring the political reality. He knew to be clear that defending the new republics did not mean messing with existing colonies, or meddling with power struggles on the European continent.
Questions About Politics
- How much of the Monroe Doctrine do you think was driven by political maneuvers? Whose politics was Monroe maneuvering around?
- Do you think Monroe's main political audience was Congress, or European governments?
- Does the diplomacy of the Monroe Doctrine undermine or strengthen its effectiveness? How about during later uses of it?
- How does the Monroe Doctrine fit into the political history of the U.S. up to this point in history? Is it a continuation or something new?
Chew on This
Monroe had to keep up political appearances, because really he couldn't physically do anything if Europe wanted to invade Latin America in 1823.
The Monroe Doctrine might be seen as an addition to the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, by adding a protective bubble as America continued to expand. The U.S. had already established how awesome its form of government was, now it was time to make sure no one threatened it.