This episode explains the Monroe Doctrine, a foundational principle of U.S. foreign policy first declared in 1823, and traces how its meaning has changed over time. It shows how a doctrine originally designed to prevent European intervention in the Americas gradually evolved into a tool used to justify U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. Using recent events and contemporary political discourse as context, the text helps students understand the historical origins, transformations, and current debates surrounding the Monroe Doctrine,emphasizing the difference between its original defensive purpose and its modern reinterpretations.

Bibliography

Monroe, James. Seventh Annual Message to Congress (Monroe Doctrine). December 2, 1823. U.S. National Archives.

Sanger, David E. “The Donroe Doctrine.” The New York Times, The Morning newsletter, January 2026.

Smith, Peter H. Talons of the Eagle: Latin America, the United States, and the World. 5th ed. Oxford University Press, 2017.

Gilderhus, Mark T. The Second Century: U.S.–Latin American Relations since 1889. Scholarly Resources, 2000.

Grandin, Greg. Empire’s Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism. Metropolitan Books, 2006.

Brands, H. W. What America Owes the World: The Struggle for the Soul of Foreign Policy.Cambridge University Press, 1998.

U.S. National Security Council. National Security Strategy of the United States.Washington, D.C., November 2025.