The Evolution of the Monroe Doctrine On December 22, 1823, in a memorable session of Congress, James Monroe read an important message that would become renowned in the years to come. This speech that he presented has often been misunderstood as a law, official government document, or a proclamation, but in fact, it was simply a speech! In this speech Monroe’s thoughts have taken on the power and the grandeur of law itself for one reason: “…they reflected at the time, and down through history since that time, to the present day, what was in the hearts of the American people” (Rink 16). It declared that the United States