American Foreign Policy Chapter 9 Section 1: American Foreign Policy

Settling Disputes with Great Britain: The Treaty of Ghent had ended the War of 1812, yet there were issues left unresolved. The U.S. and British Canada both wanted to keep their navies and fishing rights on the Great Lakes. In the Spring of 1817, the two sides compromised by establishing the Rush- Bagot Agreement, which limited naval power on the lakes for both countries. Another treaty with Britain gave the U.S. fishing rights off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador, this treaty was known as the Convention of 1818 and it also set the border between the U.S. and Canada at 49 degrees N latitude all the way to the Rocky Mountains.

The US gains Florida: The U.S. also had a dispute over its southern border with Spanish Florida. In 1818, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams held talks with Spanish diplomat Luis de Onis about letting Americans settle in Florida. Meanwhile, President Monroe sent troops to secure the U.S./Florida border, led by General Andrew Jackson. At the same time the U.S. had a conflict with the Seminole Indians of FL. The tribe helped runaway slaves and raided U.S. settlements. In 1818 Jackson’s troops invaded FL to capture the Seminole raiders. This act began the first Seminole War. During the war Jackson took over most of Spain’s important military posts. Jackson did this without orders from President Monroe, and it upset the Spanish. Most Americans, however, supported his actions.

Adams-Onis Treaty: Jackson’s presence in FL convinced Spanish leaders to negotiate. In 1819 the two countries signed the Adams-Onis Treaty, which settled all border disputes between them. Spain gave East FL to the U.S., and in return the U.S. gave up its claims to what is now Texas. U.S. leaders also agreed to pay up to 5 million dollars of U.S. citizens’ claims against Spain.

Monroe Doctrine: In the early 1800’s, Spain was having difficulty. Many of their colonies in the Americas had declared independence, many led by Revolutionary fighter Simon Bolivar (called the Liberator). America supported the struggles of the rebels. After Mexico broke away from Spain in 1821, President Monroe became concerned that rival European powers might intervene and try to take control of these countries, so he and Secretary of State John Quincy-Adams put together a document that protected American interests. The Monroe Doctrine was an exclusive statement of American policy warning European nations not to interfere with the Americas, and that any attempt to do so would be considered a hostile act against our country.

The Monroe Doctrine had four basic points: The US would not interfere in the affairs of European nations. The US would recognize, and not interfere with, European colonies that already existed in North and South America. The Western Hemisphere was to be off-limits to future colonization by any foreign power. The US would consider any European power’s attempt to colonize or interfere with nations in the Western Hemisphere to be a hostile act.