200th Anniversary of the Monroe Document

Buried in a routine annual message to Congress, President James Monroe articulated the landmark foreign policy statement known today as the Monroe Doctrine. President Monroe’s 1823 message–a precursor to the State of the Union address–warned that the United States would not tolerate further colonization of the Western Hemisphere by European governments. Though crafted in response to concerns of the time, the doctrine ultimately became a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. 

The text of the Monroe Doctrine is found in just a few paragraphs of President James Monroe’s 34-page annual message to Congress. The excerpts on display in the East Rotunda Gallery convey some of the Monroe Doctrine's three main tenets. It included separate spheres of influence for the Americas and Europe, non-colonization of Latin America by European powers, and non-intervention in European affairs by the United States. 

Related Online Resources:

• Milestone Documents:  The Monroe Doctrine
• The Monroe Doctrine Transcript
• Milestone Documents:  Roosevelt Corollary
• Roosevelt Corollary Transcript
• Monroe Doctrine classroom activities on Docsteach.org