follow a more multipolar international structure.
             Before going any further into the implications of the Monroe Doctrine upon our country and the international system, it is instructive to provide a brief account of its history, so as to explain the reasons and motivations behind its issuance. President James Monroe set forth the Doctrine in a message delivered to Congress on December 2, 1823. Monroe had decided upon the Doctrine in response to the declaration made by Russia, Austria, and Prussia (sometimes referred to as "The Holy Alliance") to "put an end to the system of representative government, in whatever country it may exist in Europe" (Rappaport 23). Coupled with the fact that Napoleon's downfall allowed Spain to restore its monarchy, which was intent upon regaining its lost colonies in North America, Monroe feared that this "Holy Alliance" might also try to suppress representative government in the Americas. Consequently, Monroe asserted that European powers could no longer colonize the American continents, and that they should not interfere with the newly independent Spanish American republics. He specifically warned Europeans against attempting to impose monarchy on independent American nations, but added that the U.S. would not interfere in existing European colonies or in Europe itself. The final point of the Doctrine reaffirmed George Washington's Farewell Address in 1796, in which he urged the U.S. to avoid entangling alliances (Dangerfield 292).
             By separating Europe from America, Monroe emphasized the existence of distinct American interests. He rejected the European monarchical political system, believing that no American nation would adopt it and that its presence anywhere in the western hemisphere endangered the peace and safety of the young U.S. He also implied that the U.S. alone should complete the remaining settlement of North America (Dangerfield 295). Despite the boldness of his assertions, Monr...