In his 1823 address to congress, President Monroe introduced what has come to be known as the “Monroe Doctrine.” In it he stated a major foreign policy goal of preventing Europe from colonizing in any area of the western hemisphere - he said "the American continents are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for further colonization by any European powers.” The inference of this attitude is that any European involvement would be interpreted an act of hostility against the United States.
