Could Someone Explain The Monroe Doctrine To Me?

Nikephoros

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The Monroe doctrine was basically that European nations shouldn't interfere in the affairs of the New World. It was ironically enforced by the UK.
 
It was basically President Monroe saying "No one can practice Imperialism in the Americas but us!" Was largely a moot point until the 20th century due to the British largely being the ones to uphold it.
 
Basically that European powers should not interfere in the political affairs of independent nations in the western hemisphere. It was actually a British proposal in the early 1820s, directed against Spain and any European country which might help Spain attempt to recapture at least some of its American territory which had recently become independent. The British suggested that the UK and US issue a joint statement and back it up with naval force if necessary, but the US President James Monroe and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (future president), decided to make a separate declaration because in a joint declaration the USA would look like a minor power following behind the mighty British. Of course, that's exactly what the USA was at the time, but Monroe and Adams didn't think it was a good idea to emphasize this fact. In practice it was the British who deterred Spain from making any attempt to retake its American colonies once they had driven the Spanish out, and deterred any other European powers from helping them.

Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Monroe Doctrine took on a more aggressive slant with the Roosevelt Corollary, which stated that the USA was justified in intervening in the political affairs if other nations in the western hemisphere if this was necessary to keep out another power's influence.
 
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