Monroe Doctrine Cartoons

James Monroe's legacy lives on through the doctrine that bears his name. The first time the Monroe Doctrine was invoked by the United States government occurred in 1836, to protest the growing alliance between Great Britain and the Republic of Texas. In 1864, the United States cited the doctrine in opposing French Emperor Napoleon III’s attempt to create a puppet monarchy in Mexico. In the 1870s, the doctrine was used to allow the United States the authority to mediate border disputes in South America. In the 20th Century, Theodore Roosevelt introduced a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine that sanctioned U.S. military intervention in conflicts between European powers and Latin American nations. Franklin Roosevelt contended with Axis attempts to infiltrate the Western Hemisphere in the Second World War, and followed a “Good Neighbor Policy” based on reciprocal trade with Latin America.