Primary Documents in American History

Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine was declared in a few paragraphs of President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. Monroe warned European countries not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere, stating "that the American continents. . .are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers." The Monroe Doctrine became a cornerstone of future U.S. foreign policy.

Library of Congress Web Site | External Web Sites | Selected Bibliography

American Memory Historical Collections

An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera

A broadside from the National Association of Anti-Imperialist Clubs discusses the Monroe Doctrine as it related to events from 1900.

Search the full-text of this collection using the phrase "Monroe Doctrine" to find additional printed ephemera.

A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation

Copies of Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress can be found in the Senate Journal and House Journal. Additional Congressional information on foreign affairs from this time period can be found in the American State Papers.

The Nineteenth Century in Print: Periodicals

An article in The North American Review discusses the relevance of the Monroe Doctrine in 1881.

Search this collection using the phrase "Monroe Doctrine" to locate more Nineteenth Century articles on this subject.

Words and Deeds in American History

Before publicly unveiling the Monroe Doctrine, President James Monroe wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson seeking foreign policy advice on October 17, 1823.

America's Story

Jump Back in Time: James Monroe Sought Advice from Thomas Jefferson, October 17, 1823.

Today in History

October 17, 1823

On October 17, 1823, President James Monroe wrote a letter to his friend and Virginia neighbor Thomas Jefferson seeking advice on foreign policy. The issue at hand was whether to join forces with Britain in a joint-declaration against Spain's efforts to regain sovereignty in South America.

External Web Sites

Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy, Monroe Doctrine, Department of State

Monroe Doctrine, Avalon Project at Yale Law School

Our Documents, Monroe Doctrine, National Archives and Records Administration

Selected Bibliography

Dangerfield, George. Defiance to the Old World; The Story Behind the Monroe Doctrine. New York: Putnam, 1970. [Catalog Record]

Dozer, Donald Marquand, ed. The Monroe Doctrine, Its Modern Significance. Tempe: Center for Latin American Studies, Arizona State University, 1976. [Catalog Record]

May, Ernest R. The Making of the Monroe Doctrine. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1975. [Catalog Record]

Perkins, Dexter. The Monroe Doctrine, 1823-1826. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1966. [Catalog Record]

Perkins, Dexter. The Monroe Doctrine, 1826-1867. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1966. [Catalog Record]

Perkins, Dexter. The Monroe Doctrine, 1867-1907. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1966. [Catalog Record]

Wilson, Charles Morrow. The Monroe Doctrine; An American Frame of Mind. Princeton: Auerbach, 1971. [Catalog Record]

Younger Readers

Alagna, Magdalena. The Monroe Doctrine: An End to European Colonies in America. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2003. [Catalog Record]