Lesson 3: Monroe and Foreign Affairs

Lesson Focus

Fueled by nationalism, the U.S. navigated foreign affairs by settling border disputes with Britain and Spain. This era culminated in the Monroe Doctrine, a major policy shaping America's role in the Western Hemisphere for the next century.

People to Know

James Monroe, John Quincy Adams

Learning Objectives

• Describe how the U.S. settled its problems with Britain and Spain through diplomacy and key treaties.
• Explain the foreign policy principles established by the Monroe Doctrine and the events that led to its creation.

Lingering bitterness after the War of 1812 caused disputes with Britain over borders and naval power.
Realizing the importance of trade, Secretary John Quincy Adams negotiated the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817 to disarm the Great Lakes, leading to the Convention of 1818.
These treaties settled fishing rights, set the U.S.-Canada border at the forty-ninth parallel, and allowed for joint occupation of Oregon, replacing hostility with peaceful diplomacy and trade.

Spain’s weak control of Florida allowed it to become a base for Seminole raids into the United States.
In 1818, General Andrew Jackson’s invasion of Florida exposed Spain's inability to govern the territory. John Quincy Adams then issued an ultimatum: control Florida or sell it.
In the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. and formally established the western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean.

To escape U.S. forces under Andrew Jackson around 1818-1819, many Seminole people retreated into the unfamiliar Florida Everglades.
They learned to survive by building elevated homes called chickees from palmetto trees and creating dugout canoes to navigate the swampy waterways for hunting and travel.
This resourcefulness allowed the Seminole to establish a new way of life, ensuring their community’s survival in a hostile and isolated environment. Pay special attention to their adaptation skills.

Between 1814 and 1824, Spain's colonies in Latin America, led by figures like Simón Bolívar and José San Martín, successfully fought for independence.
This alarmed European monarchies, who formed the Quadruple Alliance and considered helping Spain reclaim its colonies, threatening American and British trade.
This threat of European intervention created a foreign policy crisis, forcing the United States to decide how to protect the new republics and its own interests.

The U.S. feared that the Quadruple Alliance would restore Spanish rule in Latin America and that Russia was expanding its claims on the Pacific coast.
Rejecting a British offer for a joint statement, John Quincy Adams persuaded President Monroe to act alone. On December 2, 1823, Monroe outlined his new policy.
This policy, the Monroe Doctrine, warned Europe against any new colonization or interference in the Western Hemisphere, establishing a key principle of U.S. foreign policy.