Monroe Doctrine
Basically, the Monroe Doctrine basically defines American foreign policy and states that America will stay out of European affairs, but if Europe tries to colonize or influence the American continents, it will be seen as a threat to American national security, and the U.S. will respond accordingly.
In the introduction of Monroe's message, he says that upon talks with Russia and Britain the time is right to establish that the in matters of European colonization involving U.S interests, the U.S is to maintain as "free and independent".
Monroe says that Spain and Portugal were trying to improve the lives of the people in their colonized nations, but the result the U.S anticipated was very different. Monroe says the U.S has always been "anxious and interested spectators", but stayed out of war involving European conflicts and interests, except when our rights are hindered. Monroe then says that the U.S owes some of the countries happiness, wisdom, and devotion is owed to relations between them and the U.S. However, if any of the powers try to colonize part of the newly independent Western Americas, then the U.S will see it as a threat to their peace and safety. The U.S will not interfere with colonies that are still under European control.The Latin American's independence shows that Europe is unsettled. Despite this, the policy of the U.S will remain the same, which is to not interfere with the internal concerns of European nations, and to "preserve those relations by a frank, firm, and manly policy, meeting in all instances the just claims of every power, submitting to injuries from none."
He concludes by re-iterating that the U.S do not want powers in Latin America that would be a potential threat to the U.S. He hopes that the European nations will leave the newly independent nations alone, like the U.S.
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