On December 2, 1823, in his Annual Message to Congress, President James Monroe issued a bold statement on foreign policy that reaffirmed the nation’s longstanding commitment to neutrality and offered an explicit warning to Europe that the entire Western Hemisphere was closed to further colonization. This pronouncement of American autonomy and hemispheric solidarity against European aggression is considered one of the most significant statements in American foreign policy and the greatest achievement of Monroe’s two-term presidency. While Monroe discusses other issue in this presidential address, his statement on foreign policy is the most memorable.