Latin America and the Monroe Doctrine 3

In the early 19th century, revolutions erupted in Central and South America inspired by the idea of liberty after the English colonies gained their independence. The conquest of Spain and Portugal by Napoleon in 1808 prompted Latin Americans to revolt, and by 1822, leaders like Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín helped many countries gain independence. The United States closely followed these events, seeing parallels to their own struggle for freedom.

In 1822, President James Monroe recognized the new Latin American countries, affirming their independence from Europe. At the same time, the Holy Alliance of Russia, Prussia, and Austria worked to prevent revolutions and restore monarchies in Spain’s former colonies, which raised concerns in the U. S. Britain, interested in Latin American trade, supported protecting these nations.

In December 1823, Monroe declared the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the Americas should no longer be available for European colonization and warned against any attempts to control independent nations. This doctrine showed U. S. support for newly independent Latin American republics, many of which adopted similar constitutional principles.