The Presidential State of the Union address of 1823 by James Monroe is not only one of the most well known addresses ever given, but also set the stage for American foreign policy in the Western hemisphere and the subsequent action that would be taken against outsiders that opposed it. The two most striking details of the policy that would become known as the Monroe Doctrine are the United StatesÂ’ ability and justification for interfering in the governments of Latin America and the justification to defend the Western Hemisphere in its entirety from outside governments, particularly the governments of the European nations.