The great rule for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible.. This quote is from Washingtons Farewell Address advising America to not get involved with the political affairs of other nations, but rather have a friendly alliance with them to maintain a commercial relationship. His address became Americas first foreign policy, and his belief would inspire many to come. In 1823, America was still a young nation. Yet President James Monroe sent over a Doctrine telling world powers that they are not to try to reclaim Latin America. He did this out of fear.
He believed that if European nations reclaimed Latin America, their rule there would enable them to possibly take over America. In his doctrine Monroe said that the U.S. would not get involved with the affairs of Europe, and he wrote We should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. In saying this President Monroe threatened these world powers that any motion towards trying to reclaim Latin America will be considered as a motion of trying to breech the peace that we maintain between us. His threats to the European nations were a success. This policy became known as the Monroe doctrine. Monroe and Washington agreed that we should not get involved in the political affairs of foreign nations; however, President Theodore Roosevelt felt that America must intervene against nations that committed chronic wrong doings. He believed that America must be an international police power, and if a nation was unable or unwilling to do justice in their country, then America must interfere. Roosevelt stated we have acted in our own interests as well as in the interest of humanity at large.
The Essay on America Nation of Immigrants
America is sometimes referred to as a "nation of immigrants" because of our largely open-door policy toward accepting foreigners pursuing their vision of the American Dream. Recently, there has been a clamor by some politicians and citizens toward creating a predominantly closed-door policy on immigration, arguing that immigrants "threaten" American life by creating unemployment by taking jobs ...
Roosevelt was not the only one who believed that America must get involved with the affairs of other nations. After World War One, President Woodrow Wilson proposed the Fourteen Points. His points consisted of different ways that all nations must try to keep peace. The fourteenth point was to establish a league of nations. He hoped that by having a league of nations it would help to solve world affairs. Wilson succeeded in persuading the other nations to agree on this proposal, but was unable to get the U.S. senate to ratify it.
Declaring foreign policy is a very difficult issue for any nation. The U.S. has had many presidents who all had their own political views. Some presidents policies made the U.S. isolationist while other presidents believed that we must get involved in global affairs. The ideal political policy for the U.S. government would probably be somewhere in the middle of both, in order to maintain friendly alliances with nations of the world and protect our own interest at the same time..
