For centuries, the United States has been the most powerful nation in the western hemisphere, exercising its power without influence from European nations and other countries. This is significant because during the nineteenth century especially, the European powers exerted their colonial and imperial desires throughout the world. They largely stayed out of the Caribbean and Central and South America though because of the Monroe Doctrine, declared by President Monroe in 1823.
For centuries, the Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, and British had established colonies in the Western Hemisphere. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, most of these countries, except for the British, found their power greatly diminished. Spain then sought to reestablish its colonial authority in the Caribbean and Central America. Monroe was quite wary of resurgent Spanish control so close to the U.S., and he therefore decided to assert his Monroe Doctrine. It proclaimed that no new colonies could be established by Europe in the western world (the U.S. would recognize already existing colonies), and in turn, the U.S. would stay out of European affairs. Monroe decided to go it alone in his doctrine and did not include the British, most likely because of ongoing tensions with Britain in the Atlantic basin.
It is interesting to further note that in the twentieth century, while the U.S. has asserted the Monroe Doctrine to maintain its primacy in the Americas, it has not stayed out of European affairs as exemplified by World Wars One and Two.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/monroe/aa_monroe_doctrine_2.html
The Monroe Doctrine was a statement by President Monroe in December 1823 stating European countries would have no more new colonies in the Americas. Many countries in Latin America had gained their independence from Europe in the first twenty-five years of the 1800s. President Monroe was concerned that these European colonizers might try to go back to Central and South America to regain the colonies that had become independent. The United States wanted the Americas to be as free as possible from European control. As a result, the Monroe Doctrine was issued.
Fortunately for the United States, the British supported this policy. The United States did not have the military strength and capability to enforce this policy. However, the British didn’t want their rivals, especially Spain, to regain colonies in the Americas, so the British agreed to support this policy. The British navy was very strong and could be used to prevent any European country from trying to reestablish its colonies in Central and South America.
https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/monroe-doctrine
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