The Monroe Doctrine“Our country can be compared to a new home. We lack many things, but we possess the most precious of all: freedom!” James Monroe. James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States of America, serving from 1817 to 1825. He was also the last Founding Father to hold the presidential office. December 1823 was a decisive moment in his political career, he announced a declaration of foreign policy, later called the Monroe Doctrine, which was a risky proclamation and at first widely ignored, but gradually became the solid foundation on which other presidents built their foreign policy agendas. Looking back, the Monroe Doctrine was not a particularly smart move considering the situation of the American military; they were simply betting on their fickle allies, Britain, as backup in case something went wrong. These bold statements by James Monroe greatly influenced the path of colonization in America and how others viewed the United States of America as an international force. Until the end of 1823 the European sector of the world was constantly evolving; countries were constantly trying to conquer new lands to improve their position in the world. The Monroe Doctrine was ultimately believed to be inspired by the Napoleonic Wars, which were a series of wars between Napoleon's French army and Great Britain. On a global scale the US government was nervous about the Congress of Vienna. The Congress of Vienna was a meeting of European ambassadors held in Vienna, Austria. They were attempting to establish peace throughout Europe by resolving issues left over from the Napoleonic War and the French Revolution. At the end of the Napoleonic War, France reached an agreement with Spain to help it in r...... middle of paper ....... The constantly changing international world and the tensions resulting from intense wars required the America to make a stand if they wanted to be a powerful nation one day. The actual speech has been interpreted differently over the years it has been in use and has had to adapt to the times to remain current. To create this document, America's special relationship with Great Britain was necessary, without it the doctrine would have been a certain failure. After a significant period of time, other countries took notice, and their reactions ranged from great gratitude to complete indifference. The Monroe Doctrine was truly a foundation, other famous politicians added numerous additions to strengthen it. Although its use is questioned in the 21st century, the Doctrine will always be remembered as a crucial element in furthering the expansion and strengthening of the United States of America..