James Monroe, The Fifth President Doctrine

James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States. The President is the leader of the U.S. He wrote the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. The Monroe Doctrine was a plan to keep foreign countries out of North America, South America, and Central America.
Background: The United States won independence, or freedom, from Great Britain during the American Revolution, but there were still other foreign countries that owned land in America. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Spain and France still owned land in the United States. Russia owned Alaska. The American people did not want other countries so close. They also did want to have any
more wars. Foreign Policy James Monroe was the President of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He wrote the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. The Monroe Doctrine was a part of President Monroe's foreign policy. A foreign policy is a government plan for working with other countries in the world. The plan tells the world how a country will treat other countries. The Monroe Doctrine said that the United States did not want any more European countries to control land in North, South, or Central America. It said that if any European countries tried to take land in the Americas, the United States would fight them. The United States Stays Neutral: Another part of the Monroe Doctrine said the United States would be neutral during any European wars. This meant that the United States would not fight in any wars in Europe. The Monroe Doctrine Today: The Monroe Doctrine continues to be an important part of foreign policy for the United States. Many U.S. Presidents have used the Monroe Doctrine to make foreign policy decisions.

The Background

President Andrew Jackson wanted the Native Americans to leave the South. In 1830, the U.S. government made a law called the Indian Removal Act. This law forced Native Americans to leave the land where they had lived for many years. From 1830 to 1835,
the United States forced five Native American tribes, or groups, to move to an area in the western part of the United States that was called Indian Territory. Choctaws Go First: The Choctaw tribe lived in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They went to Indian Territory first. About 15,000 Choctaws started the trip west in November of 1831. Only about 9,000 Choctaws arrived in Indian Territory. Choctaws Go First: The Choctaw tribe lived in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They went to Indian Territory first. About 15,000 Choctaws started the trip west in November of 1831. Only about 9,000 Choctaws arrived in Indian Territory.

Seminoles Fight Back

The Seminole tribe lived in Florida. Some of the Seminole leaders wanted to see the land in Indian Territory before the tribe moved. When the leaders saw the land, they did not like it. They told the government that they were not going to move. Fighting began, and there were several wars, called the Seminole Wars. Fighting lasted for many years. By the end of the fighting, many Native Americans and American soldiers (fighters in the army) had died. After the Seminole Wars, most Seminoles went to Indian Territory. Only about one hundred Seminoles stayed in Florida. Creeks are Tricked: A tribe of Native Americans called the Creeks lived in Alabama and Georgia. The Creeks were tricked into giving up their land. Then they were forced to move to Indian Territory. The Creeks had helped the United States during the War of 1812. However, President Jackson told the Creeks that they had to give up some of their land. The state of Georgia forced the Creeks to leave. Chickasaws Get Paid: Unlike most other Native American tribes, the Chickasaws were paid by the U.S. government to leave their land. They left their land in Mississippi and went to Indian Territory peacefully, or without fighting. Cherokees Go to Court: The Cherokee tribe was the last to move. The Cherokees lived in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. They did not want to leave their land. They asked the country's highest court, the Supreme Court, to help them. The Supreme Court agreed with the Cherokees. However, President Jackson forced the Cherokees to leave anyway. U.S. soldiers led the Cherokee tribe to Indian Territory. Many did not have time to even take the things they owned. About 4,000 Cherokees died on the trip. The Trails of Tears: During the move west, many Native Americans of all tribes died. There were not enough wagons, food, or clothing to keep them safe and warm. Native Americans died from hunger, sickness, and cold temperatures. The U.S. Army also treated the Native Americans badly. When the Trail of Tears was over, about 90,000 Native Americans had been forced to leave their lands and move to Indian Territory. New Home: When the Native Americans got to their new home, they found dry land, few animals, and little water. They could not hunt, fish, or farm the way they had in their old lands. It was difficult for Native Americans to survive, or stay alive, in these new conditions. The Trail of Tears was the beginning of hard times for Native Americans.

U.S. Imperialism in the Pacific

Imperialism means that one country takes over, or controls, other countries or areas. In the 1800s, the United States wanted to trade with China and other countries across the Pacific Ocean. Trade is when countries buy and sell things to other countries. American ships took over (took control of) land on some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The United States opened ports (places where U.S. ships could stay) in Japan. Later, the United States took over the Midway Islands, the Samoan Islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. The Start of Imperialism: In the 1850s, Matthew C. Perry led the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean. A country's navy is the ships it uses for fighting wars on the water. The navy also includes sailors, or the people who work on these ships. Perry thought the United States should have some ports in Japan. People put things on ships and take things off ships at ports. Ports were important for trade. At the time, Japan let only Chinese and Dutch traders enter its country. U.S. President Millard Fillmore told Perry to talk to the emperor, or leader, of Japan. In 1853, Perry took four large, powerful U.S. Navy ships into Edo Bay, Japan. Each ship had cannons, or big guns that shot large, heavy balls, called cannonballs. The Japanese ships were not as large or as powerful. Perry gave the Japanese leaders a letter from President Fillmore. The letter asked if the United States could use some Japanese ports. Perry told the emperor he would come back in a few months for the answer. In February 1854, Perry returned to Japan with eight ships. The Japanese leaders agreed to trade with the United States. They said that the United States could use Japanese ports. More Growth: In 1867, the United States bought Alaska from Russia. Now the United States had land that was very close to Asia. The United States also took control of the Midway Islands in 1867, and the Samoan Islands in 1878. The Midway Islands are about 1,000 miles northwest of Hawaii. The Samoan Islands are about 2,300 miles south of Hawaii. In 1887, the United States started a U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor. This was a place for the navy to keep some of its ships. The War of 1812 was a war between the United States and Great Britain. The war started in 1812 and ended in 1815. More than 1,600 British soldiers and 2,250 American soldiers died in the war.