During the presidency of James Monroe (1758-1831; see entry in volume 1), there were ongoing disputes between the United States and Russia over lands in the far west of North America. In addition, a series of revolutions occurred against Spanish and Portuguese authorities in their colonies in Latin America. When an alliance of Russia, Austria, France, and Prussia (a state in north central Germany that was dissolved in 1947 and divided among the former East and West Germany ; Poland ; and the former Soviet Union, now fifteen independent republics, the largest of which is Russia ) helped restore the fallen monarchy of Spain in the early 1820s, the United States and Great Britain grew concerned that the alliance would provide assistance to Spain to help it maintain its colonies in the Americas.

Great Britain and the United States agreed to withstand any such interference. The two nations were...