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Summary Of Monroe Doctrine By Ernest May

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In his book, Ernest May sets out to show a new perspective of what influenced the creation of the Monroe Doctrine. While reviewing the writings of John Quincy Adams, May was struck with the question of why the Monroe Doctrine was crafted, thus prompting his research into the policy (viii). With France attempting to restore the monarchy in Spain and the establishment of the Holy Alliance, the United States needed to solidify its foreign policy. May begins his book by describing the events surrounding Great Britain’s offer to the United States to have a unified response to expansion into the Americas. He then outlies the major players of the formation of the policy, including President James Monroe, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Secretary …show more content…

After setting the stage, Ernest May outlines the foreign politics that were related to the Monroe Doctrine. Chief among them was the possibility of French intervention into the revolution in Spain. May then switches gears and discusses the domestic politics that may have influenced the Monroe Doctrine, led by the looming 1824 election. He outlines the positions that each of the four candidates for the 1824 election, as well as Senator Andrew Jackson, felt compelled to take in order to appease their respective constituencies. These considerations, both foreign and domestic, would weigh heavily on the minds of President Monroe and his cabinet as they crafted this foreign policy over a series of meetings. Eventually, Great Britain’s offer would be rejected and the President would put forth a policy that warned against any expansion in the United …show more content…

At the same time, he clearly shows how much weight the domestic politics, and in particular the election, had on the decisions of the Monroe Administration. May gives a detailed picture of the domestic and international events and actors, which effectively sets the stage for his argument. Other than a few uses of words such as “cisatlantic”, May’s writing is very simple to read and understand (218). Because the subject matter is a global affairs issue, it would behoove the reader to have a basic understanding of the global events of the time. May does an excellent job of returning to primary sources for understanding the context of the events. For example, he often quotes the speeches of the candidates during the election of 1824, for an insight into the stances on foreign policy

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