Definition of the Monroe Doctrine

The so-called Monroe doctrine (Monroe doctrine in English) owes its name to the president of the United States James Monroe and was made known during his mandate in 1823. The fundamental idea of ​​this doctrine can be summed up in a historical phrase that has become famous: "America for the Americans." The purpose of this statement was intended to convey a desire on the part of the President of the United States: that the continent American was not subjected to colonialism but that all the countries of the continent had full independence. However, this claim concealed the intention of the United States to decisively influence the destiny of the American nations. and therefore the true spirit of the Monroe doctrine was to legitimize America's influence across the continent.

From the criteria of the Monroe doctrine, the United States has the legitimacypolitics to occupy the territories of the other peoples. This legitimation is covered by the belief that americans have a duty

moral to watch over the designs of God, that he chose the United States as nation to promote the principles of freedom and self-government. As a result, the idea that the United States has a mission entrusted by God led to the concept of "Manifest Destiny" that later became embodied in the Monroe doctrine.

The origin of the Monroe doctrine

In 1823 most of the American nations had won their independence from Spain but there was fear that other European nations would try to subdue them again. In this way, President Monroe's proposal initially represented a brake on European colonialism. The United States was beginning to present itself as a great world power and the Monroe doctrine served as an alibi to implement a policy of expansionism. Thus, in 1823 the government Mexico opened the Texas border to allow the entry of American settlers and, as a result, twenty-five years later Mexico lost Texas, New Mexico, Utah, part of Nevada, part of Colorado and California for the benefit of the United States, which, in this way, specified the true intentions of the doctrine Monroe.

The expansionism of the United States

With the occupation of a large part of the territory Mexican, the United States did nothing more than initiate a stage of expansionism throughout the Americas. Some of the episodes inspired by the Monroe doctrine and the idea of ​​Manifest Destiny are the following:

- In 1867 the United States bought the territory of Alaska from Russia.

- In 1898 Puerto Rico became part of the United States after the war between Spain and the United States.

- In 1898 the United States annexed Hawaii.

- Apart from the occupation of new territories, throughout history the United States has intervened militarily in several American nations, as is the case of temporary occupations in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. On the other hand, US interests shifted in relation to management rights on the Panama Canal or in the case of the overthrow of the democratic government of Guatemala in 1954.

Themes in Monroe Doctrine