In 1823, President James Monroe issued his famous doctrine forbidding imperial powers foreign to the Western Hemisphere from acquiring territories in Latin America or seeking undue influence.  This decisive edict became the cornerstone of American foreign policy and grand strategy. As John Lewis Gaddis outlined in his fantastic 2004 book, Surprise, Security, and the American Experience, the inspiration for the Monroe Doctrine was born out of the experiences the early United States had endured along what was then the frontier (threats from the American Indians and Spanish in Florida and in the untamed West, as well as the continuing threat posed by British-controlled Canada).  After then-general Andrew Jackson had successfully invaded Florida and (illegally) annexed it away from nominal Spanish control, the Monroe administration recognized the value in moving the frontier of the United States as far away from the original 13 states as possible. At the time...(Read Full Article)