President James Monroe first articulated the Monroe Doctrine in 1823.
Monroe presented the policy in his seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. It warned European powers against establishing new colonies or interfering in independent countries in the Western Hemisphere, while the United States promised not to intervene in existing European colonies or European affairs.
The doctrine emerged as Spanish American colonies fought for independence and European monarchies considered restoring imperial control. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams played a major role in shaping the message. Britain supported the general objective because it wanted to protect trade with the Americas, but the United States issued the statement independently.
The expression “Monroe Doctrine” was not used in Monroe’s original address and became common decades later. The policy initially had limited enforcement power because the United States lacked a large navy and army. In later periods, presidents and diplomats reinterpreted it to justify broader American influence and intervention across the Western Hemisphere.