Why did James Monroe issue the Monroe doctrine?

Answer 1

President Monroe passed the Monroe Doctrine because he was afraid of too much European involvement in Middle and South America. The US feared new involvement of European powers in the Americas -- first of France after Napoleon's victories, then of the Allied powers after Napoleon's defeat who had sworn to uphold, if necessary, by force, the power of monarchs wherever it was threatened. The Monroe doctrine expressly excluded the already existing involvement of Europe's colonial powers, but it drew the line there: every new 'colonial' effort or any armed intervention to change or forcibly retain the status quo would be actively resisted by the USA.

Answer 2

The Monroe Doctrine was named after the President that delivered the message to Congress in 1823, but the Doctrine was the brain child of Secretary of State John Quincy Adams. Basically, the Doctrine warned that the United States was no longer to be considered an area open to European influence or colonization. The US promised not to interfere in the affairs of Europe and Europe would respect that fact that the Western Hemisphere was closed to colonization and influence by any other power than the US. Two developments convinced Adams that such a Doctrine was necessary. First, the expanded Russian exploration and fur trapping south of Alaska, which had been Russian territory since 1741. The Russians built Fort Ross close to Spanish San Francisco and the Czar in 1821 ordered foreign ships to stay 100 miles clear of Russian-American shores. The second, yet more important problem Adams saw, was the chance that Austria and France would send troops to the Western Hemisphere to help Spain regain her lost colonies in South America. Adams realized that the US could not enforce the provision of the Monroe Doctrine but Great Britain had previously proposed that the two nations issue a similar proclamation closing the western hemisphere to future colonization. It was in England’s economic interest that the new Latin nations be allowed to trade with other nations, namely England. While this US “show of force” annoyed the British, Adams realized that the British Navy would help the US uphold the Doctrine.

Answer 3

Seeing that Spain was interested in recolonizing the newly independent countries in Latin America, Britain proposed a joint British-American action to stop other European countries from establishing colonies in the Americas (since it was against British interests to fight more colonizing wars in the Americas). Secretary of State John Quincy Adams opposed this plan because he thought the United States should act independently and show leadership in our hemisphere. Following Adam's advice, President Monroe announced a new policy in his annual message to Congress in December, 1823: the Monroe Doctrine.

Answer 4

To inform the European powers that North America was off limits.