Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the first American expedition to cross the western portion of America. This expedition was called the Corps of Discovery Expedition, but it is more commonly known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. President Thomas Jefferson ordered the expedition shortly after the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803. Lewis and Clark were to be accompanied by a few select US Army volunteers. Their journey lasted from May 1804 to September 1806. Their main objective was to explore the newly acquired territory, map what they found, locate a easy route to the western half of America and establish it as American land before any European powers tried to claim it. Their secondary objectives included studying the local
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England feared that countries such as Spain and France would attempt to reclaim their former colonies and settlements. This would have caused England’s trade with the new independent nations to decline. The United States wanted to ensure that the Western Hemisphere was under their domination. The foreign minister from England at the time suggested a joint venture with the United States, to protect interests of both countries. But the secretary of state, John Q Adams, convinced President Monroe that the United States should come up with its own policy, which would protect the American interests, excluding England. Adams argued that the interests of the United States would be better served by a unilateral declaration. In Monroe’s yearly address to Congress on December 2, 1823, Monroe agreed to Adams’ beliefs. This was to become known as the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was set on a few basic principles. The first stating that the Americas were no longer open for colonization, and any attempt to colonize would be seen as a national threat. Next, the United States would refrain from any foreign affairs and it would not participate in European wars. This doctrine was saw by many people as a proclamation of moral opposition to colonialism, but some such as Theodore Roosevelt saw it differently. Roosevelt added a point to the doctrine. This was called the Roosevelt Corollary. The Corollary gave the right to the United States to intervene to stabilize the economic affairs of small nations in the Caribbean and Central Americas if they were enable to pay their
England feared that countries such as Spain and France would attempt to reclaim their former colonies and settlements. This would have caused England’s trade with the new independent nations to decline. The United States wanted to ensure that the Western Hemisphere was under their domination. The foreign minister from England at the time suggested a joint venture with the United States, to protect interests of both countries. But the secretary of state, John Q Adams, convinced President Monroe that the United States should come up with its own policy, which would protect the American interests, excluding England. Adams argued that the interests of the United States would be better served by a unilateral declaration. In Monroe’s yearly address to Congress on December 2, 1823, Monroe agreed to Adams’ beliefs. This was to become known as the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was set on a few basic principles. The first stating that the Americas were no longer open for colonization, and any attempt to colonize would be seen as a national threat. Next, the United States would refrain from any foreign affairs and it would not participate in European wars. This doctrine was saw by many people as a proclamation of moral opposition to colonialism, but some such as Theodore Roosevelt saw it differently. Roosevelt added a point to the doctrine. This was called the Roosevelt Corollary. The Corollary gave the right to the United States to intervene to stabilize the economic affairs of small nations in the Caribbean and Central Americas if they were enable to pay their