Monroe Doctrine Theme of Imperialism

From the 16th century onward, building empires is a part of everyday life for a number of European countries.

With the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. deflected that imperialism away from the Americas. It also, without explicitly saying so, established the United States' own form of imperialism: expansion into the west, with an occasional takeover of a country here and there (hola, Puerto Rico).

Monroe's words include a combination of fear and determination, all in regards to the fate of territory in the Americas. To colonize or not to colonize? That apparently is the question.

1. Was westward expansion a form of imperialism? Why or why not?
2. How is the American form of imperialism similar and/or different from the European model?
3. Is the Monroe Doctrine fighting against imperialism, or was the U.S. just trying to get in on the action?
4. How might the Monroe administration have reconciled the fact that the U.S. was originally a colony? Looking at how America thought of itself, would their former colonial past be a positive or a negative characteristic?

When Monroe gave the speech containing the Monroe Doctrine, he really was just trying to avoid more European power in the Americas. That being said, later leaders used that protectiveness as a reason for their own special brand of imperialism.

Since all the rumors of Europe wanting more American colonies were pretty much wrong, the Monroe Doctrine didn't really stop anything from happening until later in the century. So really, it had a kind of delayed effect with regard to imperialism.