The doctrine is a collection of statements and later additions rather than a law or founding document with fixed terms. James Monroe's 1823 annual address and Theodore Roosevelt's 1904 message are the two speeches most important to its evolution. This distinction explains why later governments could claim the doctrine while interpreting it very differently. The opening asks viewers to separate the famous label from the changing primary texts and acts later grouped beneath it.
Chapter · 0:00-1:51
Why the Monroe Doctrine is not one document
The opening explains why there is no single, settled Monroe Doctrine and identifies the presidential speeches that gave it changing meanings.