In 1823, President James Monroe delivered his seventh State of the Union Address to Congress. In this speech, he declared that the Old World of Europe and the New World of the Americas occupied separate spheres of influence, and that neither should meddle in the affairs of the other. Further, Monroe declared the United States' determination to view any European attempts to involve themselves in the Americas as a threat to the safety and peace of the United States. This doctrine laid the groundwork for future U.S. foreign policy in the Americas and around the globe.
Watch our webinar as scholars answer our questions: how was the Monroe Doctrine viewed in Europe at the time? Was it ever challenged by European powers? How has the Monroe Doctrine been used since its inception to inform U.S. foreign policy?
This event featured Brook Poston, associate professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University; John Grant, associate professor and chairman of politics at Hillsdale College; and Jay Sexton, Rich and Nancy Kinder Chair in Constitutional Democracy and professor of History at the University of Missouri.
